Coloring Outside The Lines
by DisneyDreamer07
Summary: The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.
1. Chapter 1: The God Puzzle Part 1

_**...I'll admit it, this is my childhood~!**_

_**Yu-Gi-Oh actually played a big part in my younger years, and it still does to this very day. It's one of the first anime I ever really got hooked on. The storyline had always intrigued me to no end, and I absolutely love the complex characters! **_

_**Now, before we begin, I just wanted to give you a heads up on the reader's name which is "Kiyoko Tamazaki". The reason as to **_**why**_** I've given the reader a 'name' is because I'm really throwing my heart and soul into this story here, and it really helps me to have some closure with the character I created and allowing "you" to go through trials and tribulations like a 'normal' person. **_

_**All right~ now that that's been all cleared up, it's time to get down to business.**_

* * *

><p><em>This historic game…<em>

_It can be traced as far back as ancient Egypt…_

_In ancient times, the game was used to predict the future of men and kings…_

_But the magic ceremonies where destinies were actually decided were known as __**"Shadow Games"**_

The school bell rang, signaling students that it was now time for recess, causing loud and joyous cries to fill the air as students scrambled about to exit their classrooms and head outside.

"Recess! Time for basketball!"

"Let's let the girls play!"

One male student strayed behind, tossing a basket ball up and down in the palm of his right hand. Peering over his shoulder, the young man caught sight of the smallest boy in his class, tinkering away with one of the unique games he had brought along to school to entertain himself. Allowing his feet to carry him over to the small boy's desk, the young man arched a brow, wondering why this boy always refused to go outside and mingle with the other students. Deciding to be the bigger person, the young man cleared his throat before speaking.

"Hey Yugi!" the young man called the smaller boy's name, startling the younger one as the pirate in the center of his barrel game shot out due to too much pressure having been added by the small, plastic sword he had been carefully inching inward, "Don't you wanna play some basket ball instead of staying in here?"

Yugi shyly glanced up, giving the older male a weak grin before averting his gaze and resuming his previous task of playing his game. "I'm fine…" Yugi responded in a meek tone, carefully picking up the small, plastic pirate toy and inserting it back into the center of the barrel so that he could restart the tedious game. "Every team I join just loses anyway…"

The young male gave Yugi an odd look before throwing the towel in and moving on to exit the classroom so that he could join his other peers. Gentle amethyst eyes watched the other teen take his leave, signifying that Yugi was now the only student left behind. Anxiously leaning forward a bit to take a quick glance through the door of the classroom to make sure no one was going to enter, a smile lit up Yugi's face when he finally came to the conclusion that he was alone. Leaning back, Yugi reached below to grasp a hold of his backpack, his smile widening as he placed the rather bulky item on the top of his desk.

"I'd like to go play with everyone…" Yugi commented in an absentminded tone, pulling open the top of his backpack while his free hand delve in to rummage around for the particular item he was looking for, "but I keep plenty of games in my bag…"

Excitement begin to flood through Yugi as he eagerly continued to search for that 'item' stored somewhere along with the many other games he had brought with him, "Yes! Today is the day I complete _it!_" Yugi exclaimed in a breathless whisper, his smile breaking into a full blown grin, "The treasure I always carry!"

Yugi's eyes flashed with life the moment his hand brushed against a rectangular object. Allowing his hand to tightly grasp his treasure, Yugi hurriedly pulled the object out of his box to place it in front of him on his desk. The mysterious treasure was a historical golden box. In the center of the box was the eye of Horus, surrounded by Egyptian hieroglyphs that appeared as though they had been carved expertly.

_Inside this box is my greatest and most secret treasure!_

_It has a riddle!_

_This treasure "can be seen, but you haven't seen it"…_

_What could that mean?_

_The answer…_

Before Yugi even had a chance to open the lid to his treasure, the golden box was suddenly snatched right out his grasp. Whipping his head around, Yugi groaned, his heart dropping at the sight of the two bullies that had been harassing him these past few weeks, Joey Wheeler and Tristan Honda. It was Tristan who had snatched his treasure, carelessly tossing the fragile object up and down in the palm of his right hand while sneering at Yugi.

"Heh heh… Yugi, what are you doing in here alone? It's way too dark and gloomy!" Tristan mocked the smaller boy, continuing with his careless action of tossing the golden box up and down, a smirk making its way onto the older male's lips at the sight of Yugi's distress. Allowing his brown eyes to drift over towards the object that Yugi was gazing at, Tristan released a devious chuckle, "Hey…this must be your treasure!"

Joey arched a brow at this bit of information, leaning forward a bit to read the riddle engraved on the ancient box, "It can be seen, but you haven't seen it…?"

Unable to watch his treasure being handled so carelessly, Yugi jumped out of his seat and launched himself forward, catching Joey and Tristan by surprise as the small boy raced to retrieve his treasure. Jumping back to avoid Yugi's attempt at a swipe, Tristan held the golden box high over his head and out of Yugi's reach, frustrating the smaller boy to no end as he jumped up and down to try and somehow reach his treasure (even though it was a futile attempt). Yugi could feel his stomach coil in anger, his brows furrowing together as he continued in a vain effort to try and retrieve his personal item.

"Tristan…give that back!" Yugi cried out in exasperation, his brow twitching in annoyance when the older male merely blew him off and childishly stuck his tongue at him, "Give it back!"

Completely blowing the smaller boy off, Tristan sidestepped past Yugi, his eyes locking on his partner in crime who was currently leaning against the closed door to the classroom, watching the scene unfold with a rather nonchalant expression on his face. Smirking at the sounds of Yugi's anxious protests, Tristan pulled his arm back, preparing himself for a pitch, "And he passes to Joey!" Tristan shouted, throwing the golden box towards his best friend.

Yugi watched on in dismay with how his treasure with being handled. "Ah! That's very valuable to me!"

Joey effortlessly caught the golden box that had been thrown his way, peering down at the strange object with a conceding glance. "Since you're acting like such a girl about it, this must be pretty valuable!" Joey commented, tossing the golden box up and down in the palm of his left hand, his honey eyes observing Yugi's frantic behavior as the smaller boy jumped up in an effort to try and retrieve his treasure, "All your jumping around is getting irritating! Quit it Yugi!" Joey snapped, his brow twitching in annoyance.

Catching the golden box as it fell back into the palm of his hand, Joey leaned down so that he was eye-to-eye with Yugi, his honey eyes staring straight into Yugi's amethyst ones as a smirk began to make its way onto Joey's lips. "I'll teach you how to act like a man!" Joey declared, eliciting a rather startled expression from Yugi.

Joey arched a brow at Yugi's lack of enthusiasm. Releasing a small huff, Joey pulled back, resuming his full height and holding the golden box high over his head and out of the smaller boy's reach. "Look! I'll give back the box…" Joey began, slamming his right hand on his chest in an effort to get Yugi motivated, "if you try with all your might to get it back!"

Yugi stared at the older teen with disbelief. Lowering his head so that neither Joey nor Tristan could see his expression, Yugi's shoulders began to shake before the young boy suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, **"BUT I HATE FIGHTING AND VIOLENCE!"**

"So loud!" Joey huffed irritably, staring down at the young boy with a rather disgusted look, "But no guts behind it…"

"Anyway…" Yugi began in a small tone, holding out his hand while avoiding eye contact with the blond bully, "give back the box!"

"Not a chance!" Tristan sneered, pushing past Yugi and making the young boy stumble.

"So what's in this box, anyway?" Joey mused to himself, tilting the box this way and that while pondering over what it was that could possibly be inside, "Only one way to find out," Joey confirmed with a nod of his head, allowing his right hand to drift towards the lid of the golden box, earning a panicked yelp from Yugi in response as the small boy watched the bullies handle his treasure.

"Y…you can look, but don't lose it!" Yugi exclaimed in a rushed tone, his face paling at the sight of Joey popping the lid open a smidge which only seemed to increase Yugi's anxiety, "It's incredibly valuable!"

Opening the lid just wide enough to cast a quick peek inside, Joey's once curious expression soon melted away into one of distaste, "Whaaat…that's dumb," Joey snorted, snapping the lid shut and carelessly tossing the golden box in Tristan's direction, "Here, Tristan."

However, before Tristan even had a chance to reach out for the golden box, he suddenly doubled over in pain when a swift kick had been applied to his shin. Cursing loudly at the pain throbbing wildly in his injured shin, Tristan whipped his head around to cuss out whoever the heck it was that had decided to deliver such a low blow to him, only to find his jaw drop at the sight of your small form glaring back at him with Yugi's beloved treasure held firmly in your grasp.

"If it's so dumb, give it back to Yugi!" you snapped irritably, delivering one last kick to the fiend's stomach, sending Tristan stumbling back into Joey. Allowing your honey eyes to narrow at the two delinquents who have been harassing your dear friend for…ah, who knows how long now, all that mattered was that they get the HECK outta here.

"Kiyoko!" Yugi's cry of relief immediately drew your attention to the smaller boy, your eyes softening for just a moment before hardening once more as you directed your glare back to the two older teens.

"Tamazaki!" Joey and Tristan spat your last name, causing your brow to arch with how overdramatic the two young men were being.

"Picking on weaker people… you guys are the dumb ones!" you scolded, pointing accusingly at the offending males. Jerking your arm so that it was now pointing in the direction of the door to the classroom, you hissed at the two bullies before stamping your right foot to express your anger, "Now beat it!" you snapped, gesturing wildly to the door and watching on in complete satisfaction as Joey and Tristan scrambled to race out the door while shooting you some rather dirty looks over their shoulders.

"Damn you, nosy woman!" Tristan shouted, shaking his fist in your direction.

"This isn't over! We'll remember you!" Joey threatened, shooting you one last smoldering glare before disappearing completely with Tristan at his heels.

Releasing a small huff once the two pestering males had taken their leave, you made your way over to Yugi, delicately placing his treasure back into his eager hands. Giving your friend a bright smile, you watched on in delight at the stressful expression on you dear childhood friend's face quickly dissolved to be replaced with a dazzling smile of his own. "Well here it is," you giggled, gesturing towards the golden box in Yugi's hold, "your precious item."

"Thank you, Kiyoko!" Yugi expressed his gratitude, his cheeks flushing with color as he carefully took a few steps backward towards his desk, delight flashing across his features when he noticed that you followed his movements. Chuckling fondly as he watched you plop down in a seat placed in front of his desk, Yugi took his own seat, his brilliant amethyst eyes observing you as you leaned forward to place your elbows on his desk and your chin in the palm of your hands.

Yugi chuckled at your typical antics, his eyes flashing with mirth as he directed the topic of your discussion back to the moment you had those two bullies fleeing the scene, "But wow, that was great! One word from you, and they ran!" Yugi mused, casting a brief glance in the direction of the door where Joey and Tristan had disappeared.

"There's no need to flatter me," you commented offhandedly, "I just saw a nice guy being taken advantage of, and that really didn't sit well with me," you huffed, puffing your cheeks out a bit to perform a pout which in turn elicited a delighted chuckle from Yugi in reply. Furrowing your brows at the thought of the two males that had been so careless with Yugi's precious item, you released a small snort before finishing your speech, "I didn't want them tossing you or your treasure around!"

Leaning back in your seat, you cast a glare out the window where the boys and girls were currently playing basketball. Yugi followed your gaze, curious as to why you seemed so agitated at the moment. "All the guys in this class are just like those two!" you grumbled, narrowing your eyes at the sight the boys trying to coax the girls into doing some rather odd poses while trying to make a shot, "A while back the boys invited the girls to play basketball with them. Tea and I immediately thought it was weird…"

Yugi arched a brow, wondering where you were going with this. However, his curiosity was soon answered when you suddenly responded heatedly, "Basketball isn't meant for looking up girls' skirts!"

Tearing your gaze away from the despicable sight outside, your honey eyes blinked owlishly for a moment when you were met with a rather precarious sight of a flustered Yugi, his face beet red as he sputtered some kind of nonsensical response to your latter exclamation. Giggling at the rather prudish reaction elicited from your BFF, your eyes flashed with mirth before you changed the subject to spare poor Yugi from further embarrassment.

"Say, Yug…" you began in a lighthearted tone, snapping Yugi out of his daze as the young man cast you a curious glance. Returning to your previous action of leaning over Yugi's desk, you gestured towards the golden box laid out before your eyes, your honey gaze meeting Yugi's amethyst ones as you then proceeded to ask your question, "what's in this thing, anyway?"

A smile lit up Yugi's face, his hands placing themselves over the lid of his treasure as his eyes sparkled, "Well, I guess I can let you see…" Yugi began in a teasing tone, his smile widening at the sight of your eager face, "but you have to promise to keep it a secret…" Yugi informed you, his smile morphing into a full-blown grin the moment he heard your excited promise to keep this confidential.

You were literally on the edge of your seat, your stomach performing summersaults at the prospect that you were going to see Yugi's most prized possession. You found yourself holding your breath as Yugi's hands lifted the lid off the golden box in a slow, teasing manner, only adding to your anticipation. However, you decided it was _definitely_ worth the wait when the lid was removed to reveal a box full of multiple glimmering gold pieces. Your jaw dropped at the magnificent sight as you reached in to delicately pick up a small piece, gazing at the item in fascination as the small object glimmered brightly in your hold.

"Wow, so pretty!" you breathed, carefully twisting your hand this way and that so you could gain a better visual of the tiny, shimmering object, "They glitter like gold," you mused, your eyes bewitched by the rather captivating sight of such an unusual, yet, breathtaking wonder, "What are they parts of?" you asked your dear friend, casting a brief glance back into the box where other parts were located, "They're disconnected…"

"It's a puzzle!" Yugi exclaimed, unable to contain his enthusiasm while reaching into the box to pull out two puzzle pieces, holding them up so that they glistened in the artificial light provided by the classroom, "I've never completed it, so I don't know what the shape will be," Yugi commented offhandedly, his expression turning curious for a fraction of a moment before morphing back into one of excitement, "in other words, it's a thing that 'can be seen, but you haven't seen it'!"

You pondered over the riddle, your curiosity spiking due to the mysteries surrounding Yugi's treasure. "How interesting…"

"I live in a game shop where there's all sorts of rare, unusual and exotic games for sale there. This was sitting in the corner gathering dust, and I found it…" Yugi explained, his eyes focusing on the bewildering puzzle pieces displayed in the golden box. Unable to keep his hands from tinkering away at the endearing challenge laid before him, Yugi began to absently fiddle with the multiple puzzle pieces while continuing with his speech, "Now I think of this puzzle as a memento of my grandpa."

"A memento, eh?" You watched Yugi's brows furrow together in concentration, his tongue slipping out a smidge (an adorable action Yugi always does whenever he's completely focused on something). You giggled at the determination flitted across Yugi's features. Placing your chin in the palm of your hands, you shot your childhood friend a smile, "Where do you think this puzzle came from, Yugi?"

Amethyst eyes peered in your direction, a smile breaking across Yugi's lips as he animatedly replied the answer, "The puzzle was found in Egyptian ruins!"

Your ears instantly perked after hearing the origin from which the puzzle was founded from. "…Egypt?"

Yugi eagerly nodded his head, gazing fondly at the golden box laid before him. You followed your friend's gaze towards the rectangular object, scanning the rather odd symbols inscribed with the breathtaking design. "Look, Yugi…the box is engraved with strange symbols," you pointed out, running your fingers over the hieroglyphs that were carved into Yugi's treasure.

"With an educated guess, I think I know what they mean, too…" Yugi could barely contain his excitement as his hands wrapped themselves around his treasure, gripping the box tightly. "The person who solves this puzzle will have one wish granted! I know it!" Yugi exclaimed in a rush, his cheeks flushing with color at the thought of such a wondrous thing. Taking notice of your stupefied expression, Yugi released a sheepish laugh, "Heh heh…maybe that's too fantastic, though…"

"But the puzzle is very difficult. I've been trying for eight years and I haven't completed it! Sometimes it gets me down…" Yugi sighed unhappily, slumping down into his chair a bit.

"Don't worry, Yugi. You'll get it! You just have to keep at it, that's all," you encouraged the boy.

Yugi blinked in surprise before a grin appeared on his face, "Yeah, I'll keep at it!" Yugi said with a nod.

"Say, Yugi?" you called the young boy's name, easily gaining Yugi's attention as his gentle eyes drifted over towards you. "What are you wishing for?" you asked curiously, amusement flooding your system when you noticed a rather dark blush staining Yugi's face due to your question.

"I can't tell! It's an absolutely confidential secret!" Yugi yelped, waving his arms frantically. "Sealed forever in an ultra-tight vacuum pack!"

You couldn't help but laugh at your dear friend's rather strange behavior. "Okay, okay! I get it."

* * *

><p>"Crap. What a nerd…and that nosey woman!" Joey growled bitterly, stomping angrily through the halls with Tristan trailing loyally by his side. "Who's picking on weaker people!" Joey sneered, glancing over his shoulder and glaring down the hall towards the classroom where he had left you and Yugi. The anger roiling around in Joey's gut left the older teen feeling more than just a tad irritated. In fact, he felt downright <em>pissed<em>. His pride had taken a rather brutal beating, seeing as how he fled the scene as soon as a _girl_ told him off, and not just any girl, but _you._

…Small, stubborn, infuriatingly you.

Augh. That just did NOT sit well with Joey. Gritting his teeth angrily, the blond released a string of profanities under his breath, earning a concerned look from his partner as the two continued to trail down the halls of their school. Neither teen seemed to notice the looming shadow of a senior student who appeared to be blocking their path, and as a result, Joey and Tristan ended up colliding into the (much larger) man's chest, small grunts leaving their lips as the two males found themselves stumbling back just a bit due to their unexpected collision.

"Ah…it's…it's…" Tristan stammered, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face as he gazed fearfully up at the senior student who was currently glaring daggers at him and his friend, Joey. Gulping nervously, Tristan took a few steps back, unable to take the heated gaze from the menacing older teen.

The senior student narrowed his eyes, simply referring to his towering state over the two shorter males to gain a sense of superiority. "What do you mean 'picking on'…" the man sneered, earning confused looks from Joey and Tristan before realization hit them that this dude had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

Never one to back down from a fight, Joey glared back at the larger male towering before him. "I might've meant you!" Joey snapped irritably, his tone dripping with disrespect while straightening his back so that he could also give off an air of superiority, "Now move it!"

"Ah, um…" Tristan quickly interrupted before a brutal fight ensued, hastily grabbing his friend and jerking him back while covering his mouth with his right hand to prevent Joey from further delving them both into trouble by engaging in a verbal battle. Shooting Joey a warning glance to 'shut the hell up', Tristan then averted his gaze back to the menacing senior, smiling nervously while stuttering out a reply. "We didn't mean anything!"

Satisfied by Tristan's submission, the senior turned his back on the two younger males, sending them a glare over his shoulder before reciting what he wanted to say, "Bullying is wrong!" and with that, the senior student took his leave.

"Yeah! That's very true!" Tristan hastily agreed, nodding his head vigorously while still maintain a firm hold over Joey's mouth, turning a deaf ear to his friend's muffled protests.

_*Joey! Pick your fights better, you idiot! That's the demon of morals, Ushio!*_ Tristan thought urgently to himself, his eyes locked on the back of the menacing senior. _*He enforces the school rules on everyone! Don't get excited and mouth off around him!* _

Quickly glancing back to see if Ushio had left the hall, Tristan released a relieved sigh and removed his hand off of Joey's mouth. "He's gone…he's gone…"

Joey gasped, holding his throat with both hands while shooting his friend a glare. "You jerk…that hurt!"

"That was scary…" was Tristan's only reply, holding his heart with both of his hands while trying desperately to catch his breath.

"USHIOOOO! SOMEDAY I'LL FIGHT YOU!" Joey shouted angrily with an irk mark, waving his fist threateningly down the hall and eliciting quite a few odd stares from some various students who were now returning from recess.

"Crap…now there's nothing to do!" Tristan growled bitterly, kicking the wall next to him out of frustration.

"Oh yeah, I have something." Joey replied with a grin, reaching inside his jacket to retrieve something.

"Hm? What is it?" Tristan turned his attention towards his friend.

Joey held out his right hand, revealing a puzzle piece that he had stolen from Yugi. The piece had the eye of a horus engraved on it. Tristan could only gap at the unbelievable sight. How on earth did Joey manage to do that? Wracking his brain in an effort to see if he recalled his partner ever having reached into Yugi's treasure box to remove one of its pieces, Tristan found himself drawing a blank. His curiosity was answered by his smug friend.

"While I was looking at Yugi's treasure box, I secretly took this! He didn't even notice it was gone. Now his puzzle is useless without it!" Joey said with a smirk, clenching his right hand into a fist and encasing the puzzle piece within his hold. "Without this piece his riddle becomes 'it is a treasure, but now the treasure is lost'!"

"Oh wow. Joey, that's slick." Tristan commented with a grin.

"As for this thing…" Joey said, turning towards an open window located to his right, "Take that!" Joey shouted, throwing Yugi's precious puzzle piece right out the window. The two teens watched on in complete satisfaction as the puzzle piece soared through the air and crashed down into the water of the school's swimming pool which was located just below.

_*Keh, this treasure stuff…looks more like a rotten lie! This kinda stuff makes me sick!*_ Joey thought to himself, swiftly turning around and continuing his way through the hall. "Let's go," the blonde suggested, causing Tristan to loyally trail after him as the two males began to exit the scene, smug expressions flitted across their faces at the thought that Yugi's treasure was now forgotten at the bottom of the school's pool.


	2. Chapter 2: The God Puzzle Part 2

_*Finally~! School's officially over!*_ you thought happily to yourself, stretching your arms high above your head while releasing a relieved sigh. Jumping out of your seat with an eager bounce, you quickly snatched your satchel off of the back of your chair and then proceeded to practically skip right out of your classroom. The thought of no more _grueling _classes for the day easily lifted your spirits as you began to make your way towards the locker room located in the front of the building.

"Ah," a small noise of surprise left your lips when you managed to catch sight of Yugi standing beside your locker. The moment your eyes locked, Yugi shot you a smile and gave you a friendly wave as you bounded over to his side, flashing him a smile of your own. "Hey, Yugi!"

"Hey, yourself," Yugi chuckled, his eyes dancing with mirth as he took a step back so that you could retrieve your items from your locker. "Wanna head over to the game shop?"

"Yeah! That sounds like fun!" you agreed with a grin, shutting your locker and slinging your satchel over your shoulder.

"Come on, let's go~" Yugi said with a smile, turning around and heading towards the door with you right at his heel. The two of you brushed past the various students lingering outside the building, weaving this way and that to avoid bumping in to any of the aloof students who were now eagerly making plans with one another. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that you were still by his side, Yugi's smile widened when he caught sight of you humming a tune merrily to yourself, performing a quick sidestep to your left to avoid a collision with an oblivious student.

Allowing your curious gaze to drift over towards your dear friend when an amused chuckle had managed to leave his lips, you felt a smile creep onto your face. Reaching into your skirt pocket, you pulled out a box of chocolate pocky, flipping the lid open and offering the delectable treat to the boy beside you. "Want some pocky, Yug?" you offered your friend with a grin, snickering to yourself when Yugi shot you a 'look'.

"Do you have an endless supply of this stuff or something?" Yugi playfully teased you, graciously accepting a piece of pocky.

Taking a treat for yourself, you snapped the lid to your pocky box shut and carefully stuffed the item back into your pocket. "Whatever gave you that idea~?" you hummed innocently, a smile threatening to appear on your lips and reveal your bluff. Apparently Yugi knew you better than ever, causing the young male to snort at your obvious show of your 'innocent act'.

"Oh, I dunno~" Yugi decided to play along, allowing his eyes to gaze up in thought for a moment, "maybe I just presumed that you have a secret stash you restock every day in your _locker,_" Yugi noted in a sly tone, casually munching on his pocky stick while pretending to be oblivious to your shocked stutters.

You couldn't believe Yugi had called you out on your deep, _dark_ secret. "What the-! You _know_ about my secret stash?"

"Do I~?" Yugi took over the role of portraying the 'innocent act'. His amethyst eyes glanced in your direction as a devious smile began to form on the small boy's lips, causing you to come to the shocking conclusion that Yugi _definitely_ knew about you sneaking candy into school. Sighing aloud in defeat, you waved your hands slightly to show that you knew you had been caught red-handed.

"Geez! There's no hiding anything from you is there, Yug?" you huffed indignantly, placing one hand on your hip and allowing your other one to grasp a hold of your pocky stick and leisurely twirl it around in your mouth. Your honey eyes glistened with mirth as you observed Yugi's playful expression. Chuckling under your breath, you directed the conversation over towards your dear friend. "So, are you planning on trying to finish the puzzle when we reach the game shop?"

Yugi's face immediately shifted to express his sheer delight on how you had directed the subject to his hobby that he has been trying to complete for the past eight years. Eagerly nodding his head to show his enthusiasm, Yugi smiled brightly at you, "Yeah! I'm really hoping that I'll actually be able to finish it."

"Well, with that kind of upbeat attitude I'm sure you'll finish it in no time!" you encouraged your friend with a grin, causing Yugi's eyes to sparkle due to your belief in his ability to complete the puzzle. The two of continued on your merry way, passing the school gates whilst oblivious to the large, looming figure that appeared to be watching both you and Yugi exit the school. It wasn't until a gruff voice called Yugi's name that you both slowed to a stop, casting wary glances over your shoulders to see Ushio hovering over the two of you.

Narrowing your eyes at the larger teen, you felt your body tense slightly. Something was off here – that much was certain. You could feel your warning signals going off like crazy. Yup, something was definitely wrong here. Carefully inching yourself towards Yugi, your eyes never strayed from Ushio. Your dear friend apparently caught on to your obvious discomfort with the current situation, causing a frown to tug on Yugi's lips. You always had this knack for knowing when a situation would turn bad really quickly (whether it was because you were insightful or perhaps it was women's intuition, Yugi would never know). Amethyst eyes glanced in your direction, silently observing your tense posture. So, this would be one of those times, eh?

"You're Yugi, right?" Ushio questioned, gazing intently at the small boy.

"Yes…" Yugi replied hesitantly, pulling the pocky stick out of his mouth and eyeing the creepy man warily.

"I'm Ushio from the morals committee," Ushio introduced himself. "I'd like to ask you some questions…"

Feeling a frown tug at your lips, you stepped in front of Yugi, blocking your friend from Ushio's view. Your action had earned a rather odd look that you couldn't quite pinpoint from the older male. However, you brushed that aside and merely directed your attention to Yugi. Gently grasping a hold of his arm, you began to lead Yugi away from this _creep._ "Come on, Yugi. Let's get out of here," you coaxed your friend, relief flooding your system the moment Yugi obediently complied and moved to follow you.

Your relief was short lived, though. A small yelp of surprise left Yugi's lips when Ushio suddenly intervened and latched one of his giant hands onto Yugi's shoulder with an iron-grip, preventing him from leaving with you. Refusing to back down, you remained steadfast by Yugi's side, tightening your grip on the young boy's arm (yet still having a gentle hold on him). "Let go, dude. We have places we need to be right now," you snapped irritably, your eyes narrowing in anger when you realized that the older male wasn't going to let you and Yugi off of the hook that easily.

Acting as though you didn't exist, Ushio proceeded to pester Yugi. "Have you been bullied by anyone recently?"

"Eh…no, I haven't…" Yugi carefully picked his words.

"Hold on! For the good of the school, answer me!" Ushio interrogated, startling Yugi with his demanding tone, "I'm going to investigate this!"

Feeling anger bubble wildly in your gut, you swatted Ushio's hand off of Yugi's shoulder, shooting the older male a scathing look. Pulling your dear friend behind you, your body fell into a protective stance, "Don't bother Yugi with your stupid questions! Can't you take a hint and leave us the hell alone?" you snapped with an irk mark, your normally playful gaze hardening into a bitter glare.

A light blush stained Yugi's face as the small boy felt his heart swell while watching you stand up to a male (that was four times your own size) just to protect him. "K-Kiyoko…"

Ushio looked surprised for a moment, but that quickly faded as he burst into a fit of laughter. "What's this? Is she your _girlfriend,_ Yugi?" Ushio asked, smirking while leaning forward so that he was eye-to-eye with you and Yugi. His comment had caused the younger boy's face to flush.

"W-what? No! It's not like that…" Yugi trailed off in an embarrassed tone.

"Heh, relax, Yugi. From now on, consider me your paid bodyguard!" Ushio told your friend, shoving you aside so that he could place his hands on Yugi's shoulders.

You bristled at having been tossed so carelessly aside. With a bitter growl, you marched forward and quickly jerked Yugi back, causing the boy to stumble a bit. "_Paid_ bodyguard? Feh! If you were really working for the school you'd be doing it for _free._ Forget it. It's easy to tell that you're up to no good! We don't need help from the likes of you. Now back off and leave us alone!" you demanded, shooting Ushio one last heated glare before dragging Yugi off.

"What a creep…!" you huffed, glancing over your shoulder to shoot daggers at that weirdo.

"Ah, Kiyoko?" Yugi called your name, stumbling a bit as he tried his best to keep up with you (considering he was being dragged).

"Hm?" you averted your gaze towards your friend, finally noticing that you were still dragging him. "Whoops! Sorry," you apologize, quickly releasing Yugi and grinning sheepishly at him. Yugi easily regained his composure, standing up to his full height while releasing a puff of air. His nerves had been in such a jumble from that whole ordeal. Yugi couldn't even begin to describe how relieved he felt right now that that whole drama fest was finally over.

"I wonder what Ushio was up to?" Yugi wondered aloud, glancing back towards the school.

"Who knows, who cares?" you replied with a shrug, sticking your pocky treat back into your mouth. You were still sore over that weirdo's interaction with you two. Huffing at the mere memory, you couldn't help but feel as though you'd be seeing a lot more of that creep tomorrow (what a _horrid_ thought). Deciding to voice your concern with Yugi, you removed the pocky stick from your mouth to glance at the small boy located to your left. "You shouldn't get involved with him. He's bad news," you warned your best friend, nodding your head in the direction the two of you had left Ushio. Yugi turned his attention back towards you and nodded his head.

"Okay." Yugi agreed, returning to munching on his pocky to soothe his nerves.

As the two of you began your trek to his game shop yet again, Yugi shyly reached out and took a hold of your hand, catching you by complete surprise due to his uncharacteristic action. Casting a brief glance towards your friend, you noticed that Yugi was gazing ahead with a light blush on his face. Your heart swelled with warmth due to Yugi's affectionate gesture. Leave it to Yug to calm your nerves in the most adorable manner possible. Allowing a warm smile to spread on your lips, you remained silent, happily enjoying your sweet treat while walking home with Yugi.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Grandpa! I'm hooome!" Yugi called, trotting over to the game shop and reaching out for the door knob with you right at his heels. Just before Yugi even had a chance to twist the brass knob, a voice suddenly called out both yours and Yugi's names, causing you two to falter for a moment. Curiously turning around to see just who exactly had called out to you, both you and Yugi were met with surprise to see none other than Téa Gardner waving grandly to you two.<p>

"Ah, hi Téa!" you and Yugi greeted together with identical grins, earning a bright smile from your female companion as she quickly made her way over to you both.

"Heh, it's been a while since I've come over to play," the brunette noted sheepishly, causing you and Yugi to chuckle at her comment.

"Come on in, guys," Yugi coaxed, twisting the door knob and pushing the door open so that you could enter the small building. You trotted in after Yugi, watching Téa glance around with a whimsical expression on her face. It was understandable, considering the fact that Téa hasn't been to Yugi's game shop in quite a few years. Returning here was probably creating some flashbacks for her. Yugi stood beside you, sharing a smile with you as the two of you continued to watch Téa drift back to 'memory lane'.

"Welcome!" Yugi's grandfather, Solomon, greeted you three cheerfully while emerging from the backroom.

For some weird bizarre reason, Téa screamed bloody murder as if she had just seen a ghost. You and Yugi both shot your friend quizzical looks, wondering what on Earth had freaked her out so bad. _Oooh…_ perhaps she had thought Solomon to be dead? Téa must've taken it the wrong way when Yugi had told her he was keeping his treasure as a memento of his grandpa a few days ago. Well, that would certainly explain it. You couldn't help but snicker quietly to yourself, hiding your sounds of amusement behind your right hand while trying your best not to let Téa hear.

"Ah, it's Téa-chan," Solomon noted thoughtfully, eyeing the petrified young woman oddly before feigning hurt. "That's cruel, seeing my face and screaming…"

"Just a second, Yugi!" Téa hissed under her breath, an embarrassed blush splashing across her face as she swiftly turned her head away from Yugi to smile sheepishly at his grandfather, "H…hello!" the brunette stammered briefly before directing her attention back to Yugi once more. "You said your grandpa gave you a keepsake!"

Yugi blinked owlishly. "Ohh… I meant that it will isomeday/i be a keepsake!"

"You're killing me?" Solomon cried out dramatically, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head after hearing Yugi's comment.

Laughing brightly at the typical antics of Yugi and his grandfather, you shook your head before smiling kindly at the elderly man standing in front of you. "Hello, Mr. Mutou."

"Ah, Kiyoko! I haven't seen you for a while," Solomon greeted you with a grin. "You and Téa have certainly grown," he noted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Yugi rolled his eyes at his grandfather's slow observations. Brushing past the elderly man, Yugi bounded over towards the staircase leading up to his bedroom. "Grandpa, we're gonna be in my room. Do you mind making some tea?" Yugi asked before bounding up the steps. "Come on, Kiyoko. Let's see if we can finish the puzzle together. You too, Téa!" Yugi called, glancing over his shoulder and gracing you both a bright smile.

"Hey, Yugi… you didn't give up on that puzzle?" Solomon asked in surprise.

Yugi faltered in his steps, a perturbed expression was etched on his features as the young boy cast his grandfather a 'look'. "Who said anything about _that…_"

"It takes a very intellectual person to put together that 'Millennium Puzzle'. That thing has a varied history…" Solomon began, crossing his arms over his chest while nodding his head. The way Yugi's grandfather just trailed off like that, it had piqued your interest. Solomon didn't usually start and abruptly end a conversation unless there was some kind of deeper meaning to his words. He _loved _passing on his knowledge and secrets whenever something rare was involved.

"History?" you asked curiously, wondering what kind of tales Yugi's puzzle could possibly have.

"The Millennium Puzzle was found in the early 1900's. An English archeology team took it from the burial tomb of a pharaoh! Afterward, everyone involved died mysteriously…" Solomon explained to your group, completely capturing your attention due to his alluring tale. "And they say the last one screaming said something about a 'shadow game'."

"Whoa…" you muttered under your breath in awe, your eyes wide like that of a doe's. Who would've thought Yugi's puzzle was packing such a dark history? That is so _ flippin'_ cool! Yugi couldn't help but laugh at your completely stargazed expression and sparkly eyes. You were always fascinated by the _strangest_ of things.

"Yugi…that puzzle sounds dangerous…" Téa said nervously, appearing a bit skittish after hearing Solomon's eerie tale.

"What's a 'shadow game'? I'm curious now!" Yugi said energetically, pulling his treasured box out of his backpack.

Solomon walked over to his grandson and pointed to the hieroglyphs that were etched into Yugi's box. "The engraved symbols on this box…" Solomon began. "To the one who controls me, I will give dark wisdom and strength."

"I knew it! My wish will come true! I'm so excited!" Yugi cried happily, clenching his right hand into a fist before pumping it into the air. "I will definitely complete it!" Yugi declared with determination burning in his amethyst eyes.

You found yourself smiling warmly at your dear friend, pleased that Yugi was so determined to see things through until he finally completed his goal by fully assembling the Millennium Puzzle. He's already been tediously working on it for the past eight years. Yugi's sheer determination would see him through to the end – you were sure of it. A frantic yelp pulled you out of your thoughts, causing you to blink owlishly for a moment before glancing ahead to see Solomon 'harassing' his grandson.

"Hey, give that back! It'll sell for a lot!" Solomon exclaimed, reaching out to grab Yugi's treasure, but Yugi quickly pulled it away from his grandfather's reach and ran for it.

"I knew it! You just wanted to sell it!" Yugi shouted accusingly, running from his grandfather as he chased him around the store.

"Give it back!" Solomon shouted, chasing his grandson.

"Stop it! This is my keepsake of you, grandpa!" Yugi protested.

"I knew it! You're going to kill me!" Solomon cried out dramatically.

You and Téa watched the amusing scene in silence. While you had found this highly entertaining, Téa had found this to be extremely odd. Oh well, you mused to yourself with a quiet snicker. This was just another typical day at Yugi's place. Allowing your honey gaze to drift over towards your short friend who was still frantically trying to keep his Millennium Puzzle from being swiped by his 'delirious' grandfather, you couldn't help but feel your heart swell with warmth due to this homey atmosphere. There really was no other place you'd rather be right now.

* * *

><p>Hours had passed by, but you really hadn't noticed. You were having far too much fun to have even spared a glance in the direction of the round clock hanging above Yugi's doorway. Téa had left a while ago, at what time, you were uncertain. Your attention had been completely captivated by the adorable expressions flitting across Yugi's face as the young boy worked vigorously on his Millennium Puzzle. Just as small, golden puzzle pieces littered the ground, so did various pages of paper. Solomon would occasionally pass by his grandson's room to peer inside, a smile tugging at his lips at the sight of Yugi working heartily at his puzzle while you worked dedicatedly to sketch all of your dear friend's expressions down in your handy-dandy and love worn sketchbook.<p>

While you had originally agreed to help Yugi try and put his puzzle together, that vow had flown right out the window the moment Yugi had begun to display various expressions while trying to fit multiple, complex pieces together in an effort to form some sort of shape for his mysterious puzzle. Hastily whipping your pencils and sketchbook out from your satchel, you began to try and capture each and every one of Yugi's adorable expressions. Your hand performed fluid movements, dragging the pencil lightly across the textured paper to leave quick and efficient outlines. The moment you had the main structure down, you then moved on to add the details, such as Yugi's beautiful eyes that glowed with mirth when he had managed to successfully put the correct pieces together. His tiny, button-like nose, the type that reminded you of delicate china dolls. Chapped lips that would occasionally form into a smile or a frown – either reaction varying from whether or not Yugi was happy or frustrated.

Each and every one these little details was _extremely_ vital.

Completely captivated in your work, you had ignored pretty much everything around you (except Yugi, of course). It wasn't until a sudden vibration went off in your skirt's pocket that you _finally_ snapped out of your 'zone'. Blinking in surprise for a minute, you glanced down at your pocket before reaching in to pull out your cell phone. The small, bright screen displayed a text message that had been sent from your mother, causing you to hastily direct your eyes to the clock where they nearly popped out after reading the time.

11:49pm.

"Ah, _snap!_" you muttered, snapping your sketchbook shut and scrambling around to gather all of your scattered pictures. Your sudden movement had caught the attention of Yugi; his large amethyst eyes tearing away from his precious Millennium Puzzle to watch you frantically gather your belongings. The young boy blinked in surprise, his eyes trailing down to a stray piece of paper located beside him. Curiosity getting the better of him, Yugi reached down to pluck the paper off of the floor. Brining it close so that he could gaze at its contents, Yugi felt his face flush upon the realization that this was a sketch of _him._

"Yugi," you called your dear friend's name, causing the young boy to yelp in surprise, his hand (which was grasping the sketch) hastily stuffed itself into his pocket.

"Y-yeah?" Yugi stuttered, silently cursing himself for acting as though he were a child who had just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Lucky for him, though, you didn't appear to notice his rather flustered appearance.

"I've gotta head on home now, Yug. It's _way_ past my curfew," you noted sheepishly, giving the back of your head a small rub. Allowing your eyes to do one last sweep of the floor to assure yourself that you had gathered all of your sketches, you hummed softly to yourself after confirming that you had everything. "Well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow then~" you informed your childhood friend with a smile, bounding over towards his bedroom door. "Later, Yug!"

Yugi blinked owlishly, quickly turning around to see if he could catch a glimpse of you before you left. Ah, too late, Yugi mused to himself, a smile appearing on his lips. You had already bolted out of his room and were most likely already out the front door by this point now. Carefully placing his half assembled Millennium Puzzle on the floor, Yugi scrambled to his feet and raced over to his window, anxiously peering out. A flash of red hair was visible for only a moment before disappearing completely around the corner, causing Yugi to chuckle fondly to himself. You were truly like the 'Flash' when it came to having to rush home.

Turning away from the window, Yugi's gaze landed on the glimmering puzzle located in the center of his room. Hope was beginning to fill his heart after _finally_ reaching the halfway point. Now it was only a matter of time before he would be able to successfully complete the Millennium Puzzle and receive his wish. He was so close…!

Carefully reaching into his pocket, Yugi pulled out the sketch he had 'borrowed' from you. His eyes softened at the sight of how much detail you had put into this portrait of him. Allowing his eyes to burn the image into his memory, Yugi felt his heart being filled with a new vigor. Delicately folding the picture up and placing it back into his pocket, Yugi returned his full attention back to his treasure, determined to try and finish as much as he possibly can before having to retire to bed soon. His drive to complete the Millennium Puzzle and have his one wish granted surged Yugi to work harder in order to obtain his dream.

_*Soon, Kiyoko…*_ Yugi thought determinedly to himself, his hands fiddling with various puzzle pieces. _*Everything will be better soon…*_

* * *

><p>The Next Day/

"Dear lord, that was _painful!_" you muttered bitterly under your breath, rubbing your temple after having to sit through two grueling hours of algebra. Groaning softly at the pain of having your poor brain throb, you leaned back in your seat, placing a hand over your forehead. The other students had dispersed the moment the bell had rung. You, however, felt extremely drained from having to listen to your math teacher drone on and on about complex formulas. Releasing a small huff, you slid your chair back, wincing when the sound of the metal legs scraped against the tile flooring. Slowly getting to your feet, you reached over towards your satchel which had been hanging off of the back of your seat. Slinging the strap over your shoulder, you sluggishly began to make your way over to the doorway.

Just as you had made your way outside the door, your body collided with a much larger form that had been standing right outside (and smack-dab in the center of the doorway – the hell?). Allowing profanities to leave your lips in a flurry, your right hand flew up to rub your sore head after that rather rough collision. Allowing your honey eyes to slowly slide open, you furrowed your brows wondering just who in their right mind would just stand like a zombie in the middle of the flippin' entryway. Gazing up at the large, looming figure – you felt your heart drop. Oh _shit._

"Hello, brat." Ushio spat out venomously, his eyes flashing with unbridled rage while looking down at you.

"Eh heh…" you took a cautious sidestep, your eyes frantically scanning the halls for any sign of a teacher nearby. Ironically for you, none were present. Feeling your stomach drop at this rather horrifying conclusion, your nervous gaze chanced a glance at the bully in front of you. The look of sheer resentment was enough to send you running. Ushio looked positively _livid_. You presumed he was still sore about your beef with him the other day.

You began to slowly inch away from the seething teen, your honey eyes were assertive, looking for any signs of sudden movement from the bully. Although you had put up a tough front yesterday, the reason you had done so was because you had felt the need to stand up for Yugi. People were _always_ taking advantage of his meek nature, so you knew you'd have to step in. This, however, was an entirely different case. You weren't stupid. Ushio could take you out in one punch if he really wanted to. Leaving was your best option. A confrontation would only egg the bully on, and that was not something you wished to do. Anyone could put two-and-two together and know full-well how this scenario would end.

Big dude vs. little girl, result = disastrous.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Ushio snarled, grabbing you by the front of your shirt and lifting you right off the ground.

Feeling your 'fight or flight' mode kick on, you felt your body automatically retaliate by nailing Ushio right in-between his legs with your foot. It was like a David vs. Goliath moment, really. Ushio dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks, a loud cry of agony escaping his lips in the process. The only downside would be the fact that you were currently caught underneath the large male when he went down. Hastily scrambling to free yourself from the man's overwhelming weight, you had successfully managed to squeeze out from underneath him (after _much_ struggle). Your heart pounded mercilessly against your ribcage as your adrenaline pumped swiftly through your veins. Just as you were in mid-motion of pushing yourself onto your feet, Ushio's fist suddenly made direct contact with your face, sending you flying back from the force to smash into the wall behind you.

A loud cry of pain left your lips as your right hand flew up to cover your right eye. Your head was spinning and you honestly swore you saw stars at that moment. Nausea hit you full force as your vision began to blur. The air had been knocked right out of your small form the moment your back had collided with the wall. The pain your poor spine was currently emitting after that brutal hit stalled you from racing off. You were completely overwhelmed by the pain. No matter how loud your mind screamed for you to flee, your body just couldn't react.

For a moment, you thought you heard voices, but believed them to be something conjured from your hazy mind due to your frazzled state. However, hope began to fill your being when you heard footsteps coming your way. Opening your mouth slightly to call out to whoever it was that was approaching from down the hall, you were unable to utter a single sound. Your vision was beginning to swim in and out, a typical sign that would appear before a person blacks out – just great. Unable to resist the fight to stay conscious any longer, the sound of someone frantically calling your name was the last thing that ran through your mind before everything was consumed by darkness.

* * *

><p>"I…sre…yo…ey…"<p>

"N…eaving…! …nt…til…sh…wke!"

Faded voices floated through your mind, causing your eyes to twitch behind closed eyelids. You really didn't want to make any sudden movement. Then again, that might be a bit of a difficult task, seeing as how your whole body was hurting like hell. Unable to keep the small groan from passing through your lips, the small sound had caused the voices to immediately cease their babbling, allowing silence to envelope your mind. Nonsensical thoughts began to form for you, only adding to the pain your poor head was feeling. You slowly dragged your right hand up to place it over your temple, wincing slightly due to the throbbing your brain was producing.

Your closed eyes twitched once more when the scent of cinnamon suddenly appeared to your left. The intoxicating scent encouraged you to slowly open your eyes, curiosity getting the better of you to find out what the source for that delectable scent was. Granted, your vision was extremely blurry at first, but that was understandable. You patiently waited for your vision to clear, your brows furrowing slightly when you began to make out the form of an extremely anxious male hovering close by your side. The haze finally lifted, allowing you to peer up into the worried, honey orbs of…

"J…Joey?"

A long breath he appeared to have been holding escaped his lips the moment you uttered his name. Slumping down into a metal chair located beside the patient's bed you were currently residing in, Joey remained silent, his honey eyes watching you intently while the middle-aged nurse began to do a routine check-up on you. Your mind was spinning, what the _heck_ was going on here? A hand suddenly waved in front of you, causing you to nearly pass out from the hasty motion as the hand blurred in and out of your vision whilst waving back and forth.

"It looks like you're still having some dizzy spells…" the nurse noted in concern, causing your left eye to twitch in annoyance.

_*No hell, woman! Waving a hand in my face ain't gonna make anything better!*_ you thought irritably to yourself.

Pulling her hand away, the nurse leaned back from her previous position of hovering over your small frame. "Well, that's to be expected. You took a nasty blow to the head, so I'm sure you'll be having a series of headaches and dizzy spells today," the woman began to list off, "also, a rib had popped out but we fixed that right up for you. However, I believe it's fair to give you a warning that you shouldn't lift anything heavy or reach for anything high. Those actions might just cause your rib to pop out again, so please do see to it that you take care of yourself."

"Just peachy…" you groaned softly to yourself, wincing slightly while slowly pushing yourself up into a sitting position. Your action had managed to earn some rather concerned looks from Joey and the nurse, but you simply brushed them off, not wanting to make a big deal out of this.

"Lastly," the nurse murmured softly, picking up a small mirror located on the portable tray beside her. She had trailed off, simply holding the mirror out for you to take. Shooting the middle-aged woman a confused stare, you hesitantly reached out and took the mirror. Peering inside to see your reflection, you felt your stomach drop at the sight of the slightly swollen blue and black skin surrounding your right eye. "You're going to need to apply this cream to your injury every day," the nurse informed you in a gentle tone, placing a small container of healing cream beside you on the mattress. "It should heal within the next week or so…"

"How on Earth am I going to hide _this_ from my mother?" you fretted to yourself, staring straight into your reflection with an expression of horror flitted across your face.

"If you need anything, please feel free to call me," the nurse began, only to have her voice fall on deaf ears. You were far too concerned about hiding this injury from your mother to have even bothered listening to whatever the middle-aged woman had to say. Promptly turning around, the nurse exited the scene, leaving behind a frantic you and an extremely concerned Joey.

"I'm gonna have to try and cover this up somehow before going home…" you muttered under your breath, your brows furrowing at the sight of your black shiner. You could only hope and pray that your mother wouldn't snoop too much when you tell her that it was just another ordinary day at school (yeah _friggen'_ right!).

A small noise of surprise left your lips when Joey's hand suddenly grasped a hold of the mirror and plucked it right out of your grasp. Turning your gaze towards the older teen, you gulped, feeling slightly insecure due to his intense stare. Joey carelessly tossed the mirror back onto the portable tray, keeping his honey eyes locked on your small frame. His lips pulled into a frown, "Kiyoko," Joey began, his tone spoken softly at first before growing more confident, "who did this to you?"

You remained silent; averting your eyes from the scrutinizing stare Joey was giving you. You knew better than to answer that question. It was obvious Joey was just itching to go after whoever it was who had the nerve to beat up a girl. Your fists clenched the white sheets on the bed, informing Joey with your body language that you weren't going to give him the information he wanted. Narrowing his eyes, Joey moved closer to your bed, reaching out to gently grasp a hold of your wrist, "Kiyoko, tell me who did this to you."

Refusing to give him the truth, you decided on relaying a fib to the insistent blonde, only to have Joey stop you before you could even utter a single word. "And don't give me any of that 'I fell down the stairs' crap! I found you in the hallway, Kiyoko. I'm not stupid." Joey berated you in a firm tone, his eyes flashing with determination to get the answer from you.

"Ugh, can't you just leave it alone?" you retorted bitterly, pulling your wrist out of Joey's grip and turning your head away so that you wouldn't have to see his intense stare.

"Hmph. Fine, be that way," Joey growled, offended. Crossing his arms over his chest, the teen slumped back into the metal chair, "Then I guess I'll just have to tell Yugi about this when he gets here. I'm sure that shorty will know _exactly_ who did this since he's always with ya," Joey relayed to you, causing your eyes to widen the moment Yugi was mentioned.

"No!" you interjected fiercely, actually managing to pull a surprised expression from Joey due to your uncharacteristic outburst. Whipping your head around to face Joey, the blonde's eyes observed the way your eyes flashed with fury. "You _can't_ tell Yugi about this, Joey!" you exclaimed, feeling a tug on your heartstrings at the thought of Yugi finding out about your injuries. You knew how that boy would react after learning that a dear friend of his had been bullied. You would NOT let Yugi put himself in harm's way simply to avenge you. It just wasn't worth it!

Joey seemed to think otherwise. "So you're just gonna let this go without telling anyone?" Joey seethed, his shoulders starting to shake due to the rage he was currently feeling. You remained silent, confirming the teen's accusation which only seemed to send him right over the edge. "Why won't you just fess up and let me help you for once!" Joey shouted, hastily standing to his full height and roughly kicking the metal chair aside out of pure frustration.

* * *

><p>He was <em><strong>pissed.<strong>_

…And apparently it must've shown if the terrified students who high-tailed it out of his sight the moment he shot them a scalding look was any indication to go by. The teachers knew not to call the blonde out when he was in one of his foul moods. Heck, even Tristan knew something was eating away at his best friend and shot the male a few questioning stares every now and then (ones that Joey completely ignored). Despite the scene he was creating due to his inability to mask his anger, Joey merely allowed his rage to flow, throwing all caution to the wind and simply expressed himself the only way he knew how.

Slamming his locker shut with an incredible force that dented the metal material in the process, Joey whirled around on his heel and then began to stomp through the halls, oblivious to all of the students scrambling to the side. No movement could be seen by the seething teen, the only thing coating his vision was a bright, blinding red.

Having picked up on Joey's grim turn in attitude, Tristan decided it was best to leave his buddy well alone. Watching the blonde storm down the hall before disappearing from sight while performing a harsh turn to the right, Tristan released a small sigh. Turning on his heel, the brunette began to make his way towards the cafeteria, deciding to quell his thoughts with a solid substance.

Slamming his fist into the concrete wall located to his left, a small snarl left Joey's lips. Blonde locks fell over his eyes as a stream of curses left his chapped lips. Jerking his hand away from the fresh dent he had created, Joey gave his throbbing appendage a small shake, his honey eyes glaring off into the distance. Instead of his boiling emotions having calmed a bit after such a violent display of emotional release, Joey hissed bitterly upon realization that his anger was only at its peak and slowly increasing in size. Tch! So much for the friggen' quote "releasing is good for the soul". What a load of bull!

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his wrinkled school uniform, Joey walked briskly through the empty halls, his brows furrowing at the dead silence that only seemed to cause his already chaotic mind to buzz with more absurd thoughts. Gritting his teeth, Joey kicked the door that was closest to him in a vain effort to disperse the uncomfortable feeling coiling around in his stomach.

The once closed door flew open, slamming mercilessly into the wall and bounced back in retaliation, hitting Joey square in the face and sending the teen sprawled out on the floor. Cursing wildly, Joey's right hand flew to his nose, more strings of profanity flying from his lips when the throbbing from his bruised appendage increased due to his clumsy action. Slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position, Joey hunched over, keeping his right hand positioned over his aching nose. Peering up at the horrid oak door that had just assaulted him, Joey's hostile emotions began to fade away to a mere simmer when the sound of music dominated by strings filtered through the air from within the room of the door he had previously vented his anger on.

Blinking in surprise, Joey sluggishly got to his feet, his right hand moving from its position of covering his nose to cautiously press against the partially closed door. Giving the wood a small push, Joey peered inside, his curious honey eyes being met with the sight of various easels scattered about the room. Edging the door open further, Joey leaned in; wanting nothing more than to get a better look at this unknown classroom he's never bothered to familiarize himself with. Various pictures, ones crafted by mediums of all sorts, completely hid the dull yellow wallpaper from view. The smell of clay and paint wafted into the blonde's brain, easily identifying this room as none other than the infamous art room he's heard so much about (but again, never bothered to see).

A flash of red instantly drew Joey out of his thoughts, causing his eyes to lock on your small frame. You were situated on a bench easel placed by the windows. A large newsprint paper pad was the material you were using, your brows furrowed in concentration as you dragged your hand this way and that, the pencil held so delicately in your hand applied the lines for your work. Joey couldn't help but marvel at the way you tuned everything out so that you could focus entirely on your artwork. Honey eyes watched your determined form in silent fascination. Quietly slipping into the room, the blonde male slowly began to make his way over to your side, passing the small purple boom box and small CD cover reading _Vivaldi's Four Seasons_ which were placed on the center stage used by the models. Maneuvering himself through the easel littered floor that greatly resembled a labyrinth than a normal classroom, Joey finally managed to join your side, his eyes flashing with amusement when you failed to realize his presence.

Peering over your shoulder, Joey chanced a glance at the newsprint paper, eager to see what exactly it was that you were drawing which had your attention completely drawn from reality. Joey's eyes were met with the sight of various quick sketches, all based on one particular person whom was always seen by your side…Yugi Muoto.

Biting his tongue to prevent himself from speaking out, Joey gazed curiously at the images scattered across your paper. So many emotions were visible on the multiple sketches of Yugi that you had created. It was…rather _unusual_ to see such conviction and aloofness from the normally timid and soft-spoken male. Heck, Joey never thought that Yugi could express such…vivid emotions in the first place. Were these expressions stored away and only presented for you? Joey couldn't help but furrow his brows in confusion. Clearly Yugi had more spunk in him than he let on, and yet, the small shrimp preferred to save his inner thoughts for when he was away from others and left alone with _you._

Scanning the carefree expressions you had carefully crafted of Yugi, it finally seemed to 'click' for Joey, the reason as to _why_ you refused to drag your BFF into the sticky mess that had been created and presented to you.

"You don't want him to lose that carefree expression…" Joey voiced aloud, startling you in the process due to the fact that you had been completely unaware of his presence – until now.

A surprised yelp left your lips, your body instantly twirling around to find out who the intruder was, only to have your wince in pain due to your brash movements. Feeling the air being knocked out of you as though you had been sucker punched right in the gut, you knew full well that you most likely pulled your rib out (again). The immense pain had you toppling off of your bench easel and sent crashing to the ground.

Joey blinked in surprise at the sound of your body smashing against the concrete floor. Turning his startled gaze your way, the blonde voiced his inner thoughts, "What'cha doing down there?"

"…Suffering," was your strained reply.

It took Joey a minute or two before he _finally_ realized your predicament and rushed to your aid.

* * *

><p>"Are ya <em>sure<em> you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Are ya _really_ sure?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno, maybe you're suffering and not even realizing it?"

"I assure you, I'm quite all right."

"Are ya su-"

"Oh for God's sake, **YES** I'm _sure!_"

After the nurse successfully popped your rib back in, you had left her office with Joey right at your heels. The blonde delinquent _refused_ to leave your side. He trailed after you like a little lost puppy, causing you to earn some rather odd looks from your peers. Assuring the anxious male that you were all right, you found it impossible to completely diminish his worry for you. It was ironic really, how Joey could act like some kind of dotting father when he was in 'care' mode. Releasing a small puff of air, you slowly came to a halt in the middle of the hall. Joey immediately mimicked your action and quickly began to inspect you for any signs of discomfort.

"What's wrong, Kiyo? Are ya hurting somewhere? Are ya tired? Maybe we should go back to the nurse's office…" Joey began in an anxious tone, his honey orbs glancing down the hall towards the office you two had left just moments ago.

Giving a small roll of your eyes, you waved your right hand in a dismissive manner. "Nothing's wrong, Joey. I'm fi… wait, what did you call me?"

The blonde blinked in surprise, returning his attention towards you and giving you a quizzical look. "What'cha talkin' about, Kiyo?"

"There! You just called me it again!" you exclaimed, pointing at the bewildered male.

Furrowing his brows, Joey gazed at your small form. "You mean 'Kiyo'?" the blonde inquired, scratching his head with this right hand. "What's wrong with that? Did I offend you or somethin'?"

"No, no," you began in an absentminded tone, crossing your arms over your chest and gazing up at the ceiling in thought. "I've just never been referred to as 'Kiyo' before, so it kinda caught me off guard, I supos…hey!" you were dragged out of your pondering when Joey suddenly placed his hand on your head and began to ruffle your hair affectionately. His laughter filled the air, startling not only you, but the other students who were currently passing by. Peering up at the older male, you couldn't help but notice how cheerful his demeanor was. It was rather unusual, considering the fact that Joey was always off picking fights or skipping school all together. You've never seen his friendly side before, and looking at it now…well, you weren't complaining – that's for sure.

"Hey, what the HECK are you doing, Joey?"

Joey's hand ceased its action of ruffling your hair; however, it remained put on your head. Peering over his shoulder, Joey caught sight of his best buddy, Tristan. Arching a brow, Joey shrugged his shoulders innocently. "What's it look like? I'm havin' a moment with Kiyo. Gotta problem with dat?" Ah, there's that defensive side you've come to known.

Tristan raised a brow at his friend's strange antics. Deciding it would be better not to question, Tristan gave a small shrug of his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nah, I suppose there's nothing wrong with that. I was just wondering what you've been up to these last few hours. When I last left you, you were pretty steamed. It was kinda intimidating man," Tristan noted, his eyes locking on your smaller form. There was some strange sort of bonding happening between you and Joey. Whether or not you were fully aware of this was unknown to Tristan. Either way, you appeared to have a positive effect on Joey's foul temper; and for that, Tristan was grateful.

Allowing his eyes to roam over your smaller form, Tristan's lips turned down in a frown when he noticed your disheveled appearance and black eye. "Hey, did you get into some sort of rumble, Tamazaki?"

Joey's cheerful demeanor quickly vanished at the mention of your earlier scuffle. Crossing his arms over his chest, Joey narrowed his eyes. "She won't tell me who roughed her up."

"Seriously?" Tristan asked in surprise, causing you to almost perform a face-plant.

Giving a small roll of your eyes, you held up your hands in an effort to calm the two riled up men down. "Guys, it's nothing to get worked up ov…ah!" All thoughts of trying to persuade the two young men that you were all right flew right out the window when you peered past Joey and saw a burly form making its way down the hall and towards your group. It didn't take a genius to figure out just _who_ exactly it was. You remembered him well enough to know his menacing aura when it was approaching. Quickly taking shelter behind Joey's larger form, you pressed your back against the taller male, determined to try and make yourself invisible.

Your unusual actions puzzled Joey. "Kiyo?"

"Wheeler!" a gruff voice called out, causing the said male and Tristan to turn around.

"Oh no! What does he want now?" Tristan asked nervously, biting his nails while watching the bully advance.

Feeling your heart begin to race (and not in the good sort of way), you frantically reached out and grabbed the back of Joey's shirt, giving it a small but forceful tug in order to gain his attention. Your action didn't take long to direct Joey's gaze to you. His questioning look quickly morphed into a look of concern when he noticed your panicked expression. Furrowing his brows in confusion, Joey turned to face you, his hands situating themselves on your shoulders in an effort to try and calm you down. Although Joey's gentle action was well appreciated, Ushio's menacing presence instantly negated Joey's attempt to ease your anxiety.

"Well, well. If it isn't the two trouble makers, Wheeler and Honda." Ushio sneered, looming over your group and covering the three of you with his enormous shadow. You didn't like the way he was wearing that evil smirk on his lips. This guy was definitely up to no good!

"Joey, let's get outta here!" you advised, tugging on the older boy's jacket.

Your movement apparently caught Ushio's attention. "What's this? Kiyoko brat? You're here too?" Ushio asked, his smirk widening in the process. Oh yeah, he definitely had the maniac look going on right now. Joey stepped in front of you in a protective stance, efficently blocking you from Ushio's view.

"What do ya want?" Joey asked angrily, growing annoyed with Ushio's presence.

"I'm just doing my job, Wheeler." Ushio retorted with a snort.

"What job? You mean your dirty work where you con people?" you muttered bitterly under your breath. You hadn't expected the bully to hear your soft words, but as fate would have it, he did. Your remark caused the bully to send you a scathing glare. Growling menacingly, Ushio roughly shoved Joey aside and grabbed you by the front of your shirt.

"Whoa!" you yelped, easily being lifted into the air and jerked towards the giant bully.

"Kiyo!" Joey shouted, quickly regaining his balance. He threw a punch towards Ushio, but the larger male held you up in front of himself like a shield, causing Joey to immediately stop his assault. "Damn! That's low, Ushio! Using Kiyo as your shield…" Joey growled darkly, clenching his right fist tightly while his eyes hardened into an intimidating glare.

"Let go!" you shouted, struggling and squirming to somehow try and release yourself from Ushio's iron grip, but so far your attempts were futile. Giving you a rough shake, Ushio halted your frantic motions. Staring into your wide eyes with a sneer, Ushio suddenly slammed you against the wall. The harsh impact had caused your breath to be knocked right out of your lungs. Unable to even cry out in pain, you could only wince in pain as your head was assault with an oncoming migraine.

"Ushio! You'll hurt her! Come on, man. You shouldn't be picking on girls…" Tristan spoke up, trying to reason with the bully.

"If you want me to let her go, then I want you two to follow me." Ushio said with a sadistic smirk, swiftly turning around and heading out the school doors.

"Damn him!" Joey hissed, immediately following with Tristan at his heels.

You remained motionless, seeing as how it was futile to try and attempt any sort of effort for an escape. You were just far too small to even fight this guy, and you're not exactly strong, so you couldn't exactly _fight_ your way out of this. The thought of having to depend on Joey and Tristan come to your rescue left you feeling rather ill. It wasn't fair that you had to rely on them to fight your battles for you. You had managed to get yourself in this stick situation and the _last_ you wanted was to have to drag two innocent people down with you.

Ushio led Joey and Tristan towards the back of the school where no students were present. At first you were confused as to 'why' the bully was leading the two males to such a secluded area – until realization finally hit you. So _that's_ how Ushio was going to play? He didn't want any witnesses for the brutal smack down that was just about to begin? The horrible conclusion caused your blood to run cold.

"This isn't fair! You're just leading them into a trap! LET. ME. GO!" you shouted, flailing around and waving your arms hysterically.

"Shut up!" Ushio commanded in a harsh tone, roughly jerking you a bit.

"Hey! Go easy with her!" Joey shouted, moving to punch the guy but Tristan held him back.

"Joey, take it easy! We shouldn't anger the guy. He might take it out on Kiyoko!" Tristan whispered to his friend, causing Joey to reluctantly quiet down.

"Here we are." Ushio announced once your group reached the back of the school.

"All right, we followed you here. Now let Kiyo go!" Joey demanded, pointing to the older boy.

Ushio chuckled darkly, causing you to flinch slightly at the cold feeling that lingered in the air just now. "Sure," Ushio began with a shrug. "I just want to teach this brat not to mess with me and my business," he finished with a sadistic smirk, releasing you from his grip. Just as you were about to hit the ground, Ushio nailed you in the stomach with a sucker punch, causing you to fly back and hit the brick wall.

"KIYO!" Joey shouted, quickly running towards your battered form. Unfortunately, Ushio was the first to reach you.

"Next time…" Ushio hissed, kicking you hard in the gut. "You'll learn to keep your mouth shut!" Ushio snarled, delivering punches and kicks to your small frame. Pained yelps left your lips in a flurry. You coughed up blood from the intense blows that Ushio would occasionally deliver to your stomach (when he wasn't trying to knock your brain out). The brutal assault left you absolutely paralyzed. You were so overcome with pain that you could even curl your body up in an effort to somehow shield your face and stomach.

**"Get away from her!"** Joey screamed, racing towards Ushio.

"J-Joey…" you whimpered softly, blood slowly seeping from your lips. Your vision was beginning to swim in and out, the sure-go sign that you were about to black out. Unable to resist the fight to stay conscious any longer, the sound of Joey and Tristan engaging in battle the last thing that ran through your mind before everything was consumed by darkness.

* * *

><p>"Owww…" Yugi whined childishly, flinching away from your touch the moment you applied pressure onto one his various cuts with the alcohol swabbed cotton ball. "Kiyoko, that <em>hurts~<em>" your friend whimpered, wincing in pain. You shot the small boy a sympathetic look, placing a bandage gently over the cut that ran diagonal along his right cheek.

"Sorry, Yug," you apologized, leaning closer to your dear friend and placing a chaste kiss on the bandage you had just applied to his skin.

"Eh…!" Yugi's face immediately flushed, nonsensical words spouting from his mouth in a rushed frenzy.

"Now," you continued, moving on whilst oblivious to the poor boy's embarrassed rambling. Locking your honey eyes with Yugi's brilliant amethyst ones, you motioned towards his torso with your right hand. "Take that shirt off," you instructed, earning a rather petrified look from Yugi in response.

_**"WHAT?"**_

"Oh for goodness sake, Yugi! Don't be such a prude," you retorted with a small roll of your eyes whilst placing your hands on your hips. "Now you either take it off yourself or I'll do it for you."

Needless to say, Yugi immediately took his shirt off himself, his cheeks stained with what he believed to be a permanent blush as he turned his back to you so that you could tend to the bruises and cuts littering his pale skin. Feeling his shoulders tense slightly upon hearing your satisfied hum, Yugi frantically tried his best to distract himself by counting the money in his piggybank when he felt your small hands gently sliding up and down his back to help spread the arnica gel you had just placed on him. The feeling of the cold cream mixed with your warm hands was enough itself to overwhelm poor Yugi. Dumping his money carelessly upon the floor in front of him, Yugi's hands hastily began to sort through the coins and labeled bills.

_*1,565 yen…*_ Yugi counted hastily in his mind, struggling to keep his shudders under control.

Your brows furrowed as a small frown tugged on your lips while tending to Yugi's wounds. Gently running your hands over the bruised and nicked skin, you felt your tug on your heartstrings at the sight of your dear friend baring such rough injuries. Despite the hazy (not to mention semi-conscious) state you had been in during Yugi's confrontation with Ushio, you had witnessed the whole ordeal, helplessly having to watch from the sidelines due to the multiple injures you had sustained earlier. It had literally broken your heart to have to watch Yugi be tossed around like a rag doll. He took the beating meant for his friends. A noble act that you were positive had a large effect on the stubborn teen, Joey Wheeler. Yugi's large heart had shined brightly that afternoon. Despite the fact that he had been unable to retaliate, Yugi would forever remain as the hero who had stood up to that dastardly Ushio in your eyes.

After tending to the last of Yugi's wounds, you suddenly felt the need to embrace your childhood friend. Deciding to act upon that need, you carefully wrapped your arms around Yugi's midsection and gently laid your head on his back. Your honey eyes closed in bliss, allowing the warm aura that emitted from Yugi to calm your frazzled nerves. Far too wrapped up in the comforting presence Yugi provided, you were oblivious to the sudden tension in his small frame the moment you had embraced him.

"Thank you, Yugi…"

Yugi faltered, his hand freezing in mid-motion of reaching down to collect some spare change. Blinking owlishly for a moment, Yugi finally mustered up enough courage to shyly glance over his shoulder, only to be met with the sight of your serene face as you continued to embrace him. Feeling his cheeks heat up, Yugi tried his best to ignore the increased pace of his heartbeat. "…For what?" the meek boy mumbled, referring to your early words of gratitude.

"For being such a great friend," you responded with a genuine smile, finally opening your eyes and locking gazes with Yugi.

"…" Yugi stared into your eyes, his face flushing due to the admiration shining brightly in your honey orbs. Hastily turning his head away so that you wouldn't catch sight of his permanent blush, Yugi stuttered a reply. "…I-It's what best friends do," Yugi breathed, wondering silently to himself just who exactly he was trying to convince here – you or himself? Giving his head a small shake in an effort to clear his mind, Yugi directed his attention back to his previous task of counting his money. Sorting through the money and adding the numbers to determine the total sum, Yugi's lips tugged into a frown after having successfully counted all his savings.

"Ah…not enough…" Yugi mumbled softly under his breath, "I need 200,000…"

Puzzled by the large amount of money that Yugi needed, you slowly pulled away from your embrace, shooting the boy a quizzical stare. "200,000? Geez Yugi, why do you need so much yen?"

"Ushio…" Yugi grumbled bitterly, narrowing his eyes at the thought of the bully.

Rage filled your small form at the thought of Yugi having to gather such a ridiculous sum of money just to assure yours and his safety tomorrow at school from that…that…horrible scum of a man! After putting you, Yugi and Joey through such a scarring event this afternoon and then have the _nerve_ to demand pay for something completely barbaric – oh, your anger knew now bounds right now. "What? That jerk wants you to _pay_ him!" you asked angrily with an irk mark. "Why that pigheaded…!"

Yugi interrupted you by thrusting some of his treasured puzzle pieces into your hands, successfully managing to quiet you down. Peering down at the priceless artifacts placed in the palm of your hands, you met Yugi's gaze, sending him a questioning look which only earned a smile from the boy in return. Casually slipping his white shirt back on, Yugi expressed his thoughts to you. "Let's try finishing the puzzle. It always calms me down when I'm stressed."

You stared silently at your friend for a moment before slowly nodding your head in agreement to help assist him in assembling his beloved treasure.

"Ah! Those fit…" Yugi mumbled to himself, working vigorously on his Millennium Puzzle. His hands moved quick and efficiently, stunning you as you watched your childhood friend piece the ancient puzzle together bit by bit until the golden artifacts began to take form of some sort of triangle. "I see…and if I half-rotate this part…" Yugi breathed, his eyes flashing with excitement, "and if I do that, this piece fits…yes!" Yugi grinned triumphantly, happily accepting a few puzzle pieces from your hands and hastily fitting them into the triangle form that was so close to becoming complete. "It's a miracle…suddenly I'm easily solving it…" Yugi relayed to you, his eyes fully locked on the ancient artifact held firmly within his grasp.

"T-that's _amazing,_ Yug!" you cheered, your own honey orbs lighting up with glee when Yugi held up the partially completed Millennium Puzzle. Its shape had taken the form of an upside down triangle. Only one piece was missing was missing from the center of the puzzle. The moment Yugi inserted the last puzzle piece, he would _finally_ complete his beloved treasure which he has been working dedicatedly on for the past eight years. This was the moment your friend had been anxiously waiting for. Watching your childhood friend reach a shaking hand into his gold box for the last puzzle piece, you couldn't help but smile warmly at the visible excitement Yugi was displaying.

"Just one more piece and it's finished!" Yugi exclaimed with a large grin. However, it only took just a few seconds from the cheerful expression to completely disappear from Yugi's face. "Eh?"

Furrowing your brows, you watched your friend hastily place his Millennium Puzzle down so that he could use both of his hands to grab the gold box and flip it upside down. You felt your stomach drop at the panicked expression that immediately crossed Yugi's face when the realization finally hit you both that the last puzzle piece was _missing._

"It's not here…" Yugi began in a quiet voice, his hands trembling. The shock finally set in, causing Yugi to throw the box aside as his teary eyes clashed with your own panicked ones. "It's not here, Kiyoko! The last piece is gone…! **GONE!**"

Feeling your heart squeeze at the sight of Yugi's broken expression, you frantically waved your hands in front of yourself. "D-don't worry, Yugi! I'm sure it's just hidden somewhere in your room! We just have to find it, that's all. I'm sure we'll recover it, you'll see!"

For the next forty minutes, you and Yugi completely turned his room inside out in a desperate search for the missing puzzle piece. With each passing minute, Yugi was growing more and more distraught. "Where is it…where is it…" you muttered under your breath, checking high and low for any signs of the small piece of ancient artifact. You felt your stomach beginning to drop at the unwanted realization that Yugi's puzzle piece was _definitely_ not in his room. Releasing an aggravated sigh at the disturbing thought, you got to your feet, crossing your arms over your chest while hastily wracking your brain for any sort of memory of ever having come across a stray puzzle piece during your previous visits. None came to mind, upsetting your further as you ran a hand through your red locks in a small effort to quell your frazzled nerves.

"It's not here!" Yugi cried out in anguish, slumping down into his desk chair with a defeated expression splashed across his face. Gazing dejectedly at the unfinished Millennium Puzzle in his hands, Yugi's eyes began to water as a frown appeared on his lips. "The puzzle…the puzzle…it'll never be completed now…!" Yugi whispered to you in a broken tone, causing your heart to lurch at the extremely _uncharacteristic_ turn in Yugi's normally cheerful visage. Snapping his eyes shut, Yugi slammed his fists down onto his desk. **"My wish will ****never**** come true!"**

Startled by Yugi's outburst, you watched on in stunned silence as Yugi's lamp was knocked off the desk and sent crashing to the floor. The sound of glass shattering broke the tense silence, and the room quickly becoming enveloped in darkness. Nothing was said between you and Yugi for the next few minutes. Yugi was far too distressed to offer you any sort of reassurance that he was okay, and you weren't sure how to console someone who had been working so _hard_ on his dream only to have it whisked away. What could you _possibly_ say that would somehow lift Yugi's spirit? Nothing came to mind.

Shuffling footsteps sounded from behind you, causing you to peer over your shoulder to see a mass of shadow moving into the room. A 'click' was heard, signaling that someone has just flipped the light switch on. The once dark room flooded with light, revealing Solomon's figure standing in the doorway of his grandson's room. Locking gazes with you for a moment, Solomon shuffled by. Appearing by his grandson's side, Solomon's eyes locked on the discarded Millennium Puzzle. Picking up the artifact with careful hands, Solomon's jaw dropped at the sight of the 'completed' puzzle. "Hoho, amazing! The puzzle is finished!"

"No…" Yugi muttered dejectedly, hanging his head in shame. "In the end, I… Grandpa, I couldn't finish the puzzle…"

"Hoho, I wonder…" Solomon chuckled, his eyes shining with mirth. "Yugi…you've worked on this 'Millennium Puzzle' for eight years, putting your hopes and dreams into it…you should have more faith!"

Yugi turned his body slightly in his seat, shooting his grandfather a quizzical expression. "Eh?"

"If you do, your wish will certainly come true!" Solomon explained with a secretive smile, holding out his right arm. His fist was closed, encasing something that neither you nor Yugi could possibly see. Chuckling softly at the sight of yours and Yugi's curious expression, Solomon flipped his fist over, opening his hand to reveal the last puzzle piece lying in the palm of his hand.

"G…Grandpa…" Yugi stuttered, tears filling his eyes as the small boy stumbled out of his seat. Your dear friend was so overcome with emotion that he didn't know exactly _how_ to react. However, this was quickly remedied when Yugi suddenly threw himself at his grandfather, catching the elderly man by surprise as Yugi began screaming his gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! You found it!"

"Yugi…I'm not the one who found it," Solomon corrected, startling both you and Yugi with this bit of information. "A while ago, one of your friends arrived at the shop…he asked me to give that to you. His clothes were wet, maybe from being out in the rain…"

_*Being out in the rain?*_ You thought to yourself, furrowing your brows in confusion. _*But it hasn't rained for weeks…*_

_*I wonder who it was! Whoever you are, thank you!*_ Yugi thought happily, gazing down at the puzzle piece in his hands.

_*He explained everything…said his name was Joey, but asked me not to tell you. And the marks on your face…he said that you were being harassed by some delinquent named Ushio…*_ Solomon thought, glancing towards Yugi before turning his attention to his grandson's backpack, slipping in a small packet of money. _*Yugi…I'll put some money in your bag, so that you can avoid this trouble.*_

Taking his leave, Solomon grasped the brass knob of his grandson's bedroom door. Peering over his shoulder, the elderly man smiled warmly at you and Yugi. "Goodnight Yugi. Good night, Kiyoko."

"Thanks, Grandpa… goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Mr. Mutou."

The moment Solomon closed the door, Yugi jumped back into his seat, his eyes glued to the puzzle piece held firmly in his grasp. Picking up his unfinished puzzle with his right hand, Yugi's body began to quiver with excitement as he began to insert the final piece. "This is it, Kiyoko! At last, the 'Millennium Puzzle' will be completed!" Yugi exclaimed breathlessly, eagerly pushing the 'missing' puzzle piece into the center of the artifact.

Before you could even utter your words of 'congratulations', your vision was suddenly blinded by a flash of light.

* * *

><p>Shielding your eyes from the blinding light that had nearly stunned you the moment Yugi had inserted the last piece to his Millennium Puzzle; you slowly lowered your right arm from its shielding position whilst casting a wary glance in Yugi's direction. Worry tugged at your heart when you noticed your dear friend slumped over his desk. Praying silently to yourself for Yugi's welfare, you placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a shake while hoping with all your heart that he was all right. "Yugi…?" you called the young boy's name softly, your brows furrowing when you received no response. Feeling your heart give a tug due to Yugi's unconscious state, you began to shake him a bit harder in hopes of him waking up. "…Yugi? Yugi!"<p>

A small grunt managed to emit from the boy, causing you to breathe a sigh of relief. Taking a small step back to give your friend some space, you watched Yugi's eyes slide open. "Wha…" you nearly fell over at the sight of crimson eyes gazing intently in your direction the moment Yugi had managed to regain conciseness. Stumbling back out of sheer shock, you watched on with a dumbfounded expression as Yugi slowly pushed his chair back and stood up, turning his body slightly so that he was facing you now. "Y..you…" your words refused to form a complete sentence due to your frazzled state. Pointing accusingly at the boy in front of you, you felt a small bead of sweat slide down the side of your face. "What the **hell,** Yugi! You _grew!_"

'Yugi' blinked in surprise, silently observing your erratic behavior. His silence only seemed make you more nervous. Why wasn't he saying anything? Didn't he feel odd in any way? How could he NOT notice that his eyes were completely different – not to mention he gained quite a few inches, so now he was taller than you! The heck was with this bizarre situation?

…Something was definitely off here.

'Yugi's' crimson gaze observed your tense posture. The expression that suddenly flitted across your face managed to pique his curiosity. It appeared as though you sensed something was different, like something just didn't _belong_ here. How interesting, 'Yugi' mused, a smirk slowly forming on his lips. His action had caused a frown to appear on your own lips, your eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. Arching a brow at your odd behavior, 'Yugi' _finally_ spoke up, "Something wrong?"

_*That voice…*_ you noted to yourself in bewilderment, _*Yugi's voice is so deep all of a sudden.*_

The stranger standing in front of you was apparently becoming amused by your confusion to the whole situation. Steeling your emotions, you narrowed your eyes at the person, questions racing through your mind as to _who_ exactly this dude is and _where_ was Yugi? Making sure that you kept your distance, you voiced your question in a firm tone, managing to pull a rather smug grin from the stranger in return. "…Where's Yugi?"

"I **am** Yugi," the stranger retaliated in a teasing tone, his crimson eyes flashing with mirth.

Getting a bit miffed that this guy was getting a kick out of your uneasiness for this whole ordeal, you snipped back at the smug 'Yugi'. "No, you're NOT Yugi. My friend's personality is way more social than yours, Mr. _Jackass!_"

"So rude," 'Yugi' sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. Those blood red eyes of his drifted over your small form, looking you up and down before the guy decided to slowly speak his next words. "What makes you so sure that I'm not me? Perhaps you're just tired and over thinking things, _Ammut?_"

…Oh he did NOT just call you THAT.

Trying your best to refrain yourself from sucker punching this dude, you continued to repeatedly remind yourself that this arrogant guy was currently in Yugi's body. Sure, hitting him now would make you feel better, but on the other hand, you'd feel extremely guilty and awkward having to explain to Yugi later why you had sucker punched him when he was…possessed. At least, that's what you believed was happening here. You downright _refused_ to believe that this was your sweet and innocent little Yugi.

Tightly clenching your small hands into fists in a small effort to try and control you anger, you grit out your snarky reply, which only seemed to amuse 'Yugi' further. "First off, Yugi would NEVER call me Ammut, you jerk! Second, I know what the hell it was you just called me. I may not look it, but I do have some knowledge of Egyptian History. Granted I'm not an expert, I know the basics," you snapped irritably, your eyes narrowing in anger when 'Yugi's' smile transformed into a sly smirk. "And a few other things to point out while I'm at it," you continued heatedly, pretending to ignore 'Yugi's' advances as the male took confident strides forward so that he was now standing in front of you, peering down at you with that damn, smug expression of his. Feeling your right eye twitch in annoyance, you refrained yourself from stomping on 'Yugi's' foot, "Yugi's eyes aren't crimson, nor are they filled with that sadistic glee your currently showing, so quit it!"

Despite your warning, a chuckle escaped 'Yugi's' lips, his eyes literally shining with mirth. "Go on~" 'Yugi' taunted you, his smirk widening at the sight of your flustered reactions.

"No one goes through a growth spurt and suddenly gains like five inches in height within the past three minutes!" you continued heatedly, glaring bitterly at the smug male in front of you. "Also, Yugi doesn't portray the role of 'Jackass', so I suggest you tell me right now who the hell you are and where my best friend is!"

"I already told you~" 'Yugi' responded in a taunting tone (yet _again_), "I **am** Yugi."

_SPLASH._

A Cheshire cat grin appeared on your lips, your eyes flashing with satisfaction at the sight of an extremely agitated 'Yugi'. The male's crimson eyes were narrowed into an irritated glare, his face completely soaked from you having blasted him with a water bottle that you just had pulled out from seemingly nowhere. Chuckling deviously at your ingenious retaliation, you watched 'Yugi' raise his right hand to wipe the water droplets off of his face, shooting you a rather scathing glare in the process.

"What the **hell** was _that_ for?" 'Yugi' hissed at you, wiping his face dry.

"Oh, just thought I'd try spraying you with holy water and see if you'd melt," you replied in an airy tone, earning a snort from 'Yugi' in reply to your lame excuse.

"And you honestly thought that would work?" 'Yugi' growled.

Shrugging innocently, you allowed your eyes to drift away from the peeved male in front of you, a nonchalant expression appearing on your face as you replied, "I saw it in the movies and thought I'd give it a try. Such a shame you didn't suddenly burst into flames and fade away. I would have really liked to have seen that…"

"I take it back…" 'Yugi' muttered under his breath, earning a curious glance from you in response. "You're not as cute as I thought."

"Oh yeah? Well I don't really give a damn if you think I'm cute or not," you retorted angrily with an irk mark, "and for the record, you ain't so cute yourself, so HA!"

During your brash movements to emphasize your anger, you suddenly paused in mid-motion of having your right arm outstretched and pointing an accusing finger at 'Yugi' when a tremendous amount of pain suddenly emitted from your mid-back. It was then that you found yourself having trouble breathing, causing your vision to swim in and out. Falling to your knees, a small cry of pain left your lips, startling 'Yugi' as he watched your right hand fly up to grasp the material of your shirt which was covering your chest. Having your breaths coming out in labored pants, you felt yourself drifting off into the darkness once more due to the overwhelming pain you were suddenly feeling. Your hazy mind was barely even able to register the fact that 'Yugi' caught you before you even hit the ground.

…Darn it all.

* * *

><p>"Nngh…" your eyes slowly fluttered open, confusion consuming your mind when you found yourself placed in Yugi's bed. Propping yourself up with the help of your elbows, you blinked owlishly for a moment, trying to put the pieces together in an effort to remember what had happened just before you blacked out. The only thing you could remember was a tremendous amount of pain, and yet… glancing down at your torso, you blinked in surprise when you found your shirt completely unbuttoned. Despite the oddness (not to mention downright creepiness) of the situation, your right hand lightly placed itself over the area just below your chest where the pain had originally been emitting from. Now, the pain was no longer a problem. In fact, you were pleased to note that you were able to breathe properly again without having to struggle for a breath.<p>

"So, you're finally awake."

Turning your head to the left, your honey eyes met crimson ones. Blinking in surprise for a moment, you felt your jaw slightly slack in surprise due to the sight of 'Yugi' having pulled the desk chair over so that he could sit beside you. The male was currently observing your behavior, his intense gaze searching for any signs of discomfort from you. Furrowing your brows, you eyed the young man warily, silently wondering to yourself what exactly he had done while you were passed out.

"I didn't know what was wrong with you when you collapsed so suddenly," 'Yugi' explained to you, having sensed your wariness. Leaning back slightly in his seat, 'Yugi' crossed his arms over his chest, "Your breathing was labored and you appeared to be in some sort of pain," he recalled, closing his eyes for a brief moment before reopening them. "Before you had passed out, I noticed you were clutching your chest, so…" amusement lit your face when you noticed the young male's face flush slightly as he stubbornly turned his head to the side with a pout so that you wouldn't hassle him for his flustered appearance for what he was about to say next. "…So, I thought it'd be best to get a closer look to see what was causing you so much pain. I had to resort to unbuttoning your shirt…" the male informed you in a rather flustered tone, his cheeks heating up more as he trailed off in his last sentence.

Trying your best to contain the giggles that were escaping your lips, you couldn't help but find the hilarity of the situation unbearable! Who would've thought that this arrogant guy possessing Yugi's body would have his whole 'cool-dude' demeanor completely wiped out the moment he had to resort with gazing at your exposed torso – well, not _completely_ exposed (you were wearing a bra, so you considered yourself to have still been decent in such a situation).

"Your problem resided in the fact that you had a rib out," 'Yugi' stressed, trying desperately to change the subject from you getting a wild kick out of his embarrassment. Coughing into his fist, 'Yugi' closed his eyes and tried to ease out of his flustered state (which was actually a lot harder than it should have been due to the devious grin you were giving him).

"So~ you popped my rib back in, eh?" you asked impishly, your grin widening at the sight of the dark hue staining 'Yugi's' face.

"…" Trying his best to regain some sort of authority over the situation, 'Yugi' flashed you an exasperated look while opening his mouth to speak. However, you beat him to the punch.

"Thank you."

'Yugi' blinked in surprise, his crimson eyes easily reflecting his confusion for your sudden change in personality. Furrowing his brows, 'Yugi' silently wondered if you were serious. Your first meeting with each other hadn't exactly been memorable. In fact, the two of you had been downright hostile with one another. Within the first half hour of knowing each other, you both had simply argued and threw insults in an effort to outwit the other. Allowing his attention to drift back to your face, 'Yugi' didn't miss the genuine sincerity you were currently expressing for his kindness with helping you in your time of pain. Perhaps there _was_ hope for a semi-considerate relationship.

"…You're welcome," 'Yugi' slowly replied.

Releasing a small satisfied sigh, you close your eyes, relishing in the fact that you weren't feeling any type of pain at the moment. Flopping back down onto Yugi's bed, you allowed the comfortable atmosphere to put your body at ease. You no longer felt any sort of resentment towards 'Yugi'. In fact, you were actually beginning to find him rather…intriguing. Nevertheless, you knew full well that it would take quite some time before you'd be able to completely develop any sort of friendly relationship with this, er, _interesting_ individual.

'Yugi' silently observed your calm demeanor. Calculating crimson eyes memorized the serene expression you were currently wearing. It was certainly different to see you with such an expression. The only type of emotions he had really seen from you up until now was irritation, wariness and resentment. Then again, you had a particular good reason for that. It must've been quite a shocking ordeal to find out that your childhood friend was being possessed. Perhaps your earlier hostility towards him was well justified? Dropping his gaze towards your exposed torso, a frown tugged on 'Yugi's' lips at the sight of the bruised and battered skin. You had certainly gone through a traumatizing event at school today, this he was certain of due to having delved into Yugi's mind.

Your eyes fluttered open when the feeling of a hand was suddenly felt gliding over your stomach in a gentle manner. Honey met crimson. You and 'Yugi' stared at one another for a few moments in silence until the former decided to speak. "…Kiyoko, did _he_ do this to you?"

You stared quizzically at the male, wondering just who exactly it was he was referring to right now.

Tenderly tracing over a rather large cut located in the center of your lower abdomen, 'Yugi's' scrutinizing gaze locked with your own curious one before uttering a single word that had your whole body immediately tensing, "Ushio."

The silent gesture from your body language was more than enough for 'Yugi' to determine an answer. Narrowing his eyes, the teen hastily stood from his seat. Your own honey orbs widened in surprise as you watched the male turn his back on you and make his way over towards Yugi's backpack which was located by his bedroom door. Crouching down beside the bulky item, 'Yugi' flipped open the front pocket and reached inside to pull out a small manila envelope. Standing up once more, 'Yugi' opened the packet and retrieved a rather large sum of money. What on earth-?

"Hey!" you called out, hastily sitting up whilst keeping your gaze locked on the young man who's eyes were blazing with an unreadable expression you couldn't quite pinpoint.

Pausing a moment to allow his crimson eyes to sweep in your direction, an expression of surprise actually managed to cross 'Yugi's' face when he caught sight of you rushing to his side. Feeling extremely attentive by the fact that you could cause yourself some unintended pain, 'Yugi' gently grasped a hold of your arms the moment you reached his side. His eyes hardened into a look you recall receiving from your father on multiple occasions, most times when you were about to be reprimanded for being careless.

"Kiyoko."

Ah, there's that reprimanding tone you were expecting.

"Don't even _think_ about trying to talk me out from following you," you interrupted, completely uninterested in hearing whatever it was 'Yugi' was going to try and say in an effort to coax you out of your brash decision. You could feel 'Yugi's' grip tighten ever so slightly on your arms, his eyes easily expressing his personal thoughts on your blunt response. The two of you remained silent, seconds slowly creeping by as you both merely stared defiantly at one another, neither one willing to back down.

"You're completely illogical," 'Yugi' muttered under his breath in a small huff, his brows furrowing at the sight of your lips quirking just a bit due to him having broken the silence. A sigh of defeat signaled your victory, causing you to grin impishly at the exasperated male standing before you.

"…Fine. I'll allow you to accompany me on one condition," 'Yugi' grudgingly voiced, earning a rather curious expression from you.

"Oh? And what's the condition?"

"…" A light hue of red suddenly appeared on the young man's face, his crimson eyes averting from your form as his response came out in a rather forced tone. "You're going to need a change of clothes."

* * *

><p>You loyally trailed behind 'Yugi', following the young man through the darkness which heavily coated your quaint little neighborhood. The old rusty streetlamps barely provided a shred of light to help guide passerby safely through this street. Not a single soul was present during your trek towards your school, creating a rather eerie atmosphere. This was like a scene straight out of a horror film, actually, you mused silently to yourself whilst making sure to keep a decent pace behind 'Yugi'. You definitely didn't want to stray too far from your only source of protection should any type of danger arise like a figure suddenly emerging from the darkness, or perhaps an ambush launched by a bunch of hoola… what the HELL was that?<p>

'Yugi' paused in his confident stride to turn his body slightly, his crimson eyes observing your tense form as your back was currently facing him. Feeling a bit concerned by your sudden fright, 'Yugi' quickly joined you by your side, his hand unconsciously reaching for his Millennium Puzzle which was currently beginning to emit a strange light from the eye of Horus located in its center. Muscles tightened rather drastically as 'Yugi' felt his body tense with anticipation when he finally managed to catch the sound of something advancing towards you both from the alley you had just passed. Bracing himself and preparing to launch an immediate attack, 'Yugi' halted in mid-motion of summoning the powers from his ancient artifact when a small creature suddenly darted out from the darkness.

Yellow eyes glistened eerily in the darkness, staring defiantly at you and 'Yugi'. Scampering between your legs (and nearly giving you a heart attack in the process), the creature's identity was soon revealed when darting under the dim light provided by the ancient streetlamp.

…It was nothing more but a mere alley cat.

Releasing a breath you didn't know you had been holding, your shoulders slumped after having to remain in such a tense posture for the past five minutes of sheer anxiety. Your erratic heart would need a bit more time before it would finally manage to settle down to the point where it literally wasn't about to blow up. Overcome by a sudden wave of fatigue, you silently berated yourself for having overreacted for nothing more than a mere alley cat. Honestly. Was this what your pride was coming to? Demeaning itself to the level of…

"Scaredy cat," 'Yugi' mused, his crimson eyes dancing with unbridled mirth after having witnessed your little 'meltdown'.

"…Oh shut up," you hissed, still a bit ruffled from your recent scare. You couldn't help the embarrassed flush that appeared to cover your face in a light hue. Silently hoping that 'Yugi' wouldn't see your frazzled state, you could only groan in disdain when an impish grin suddenly appeared on the young man's lips, signifying that he had seen your abashed state (much to your chagrin).

"Do you need to hold my hand?" 'Yugi' taunted you, his grin morphing into a sly smirk when you roughly brushed past him.

"You're so infuriating!" you growled bitterly, stomping your way towards school in an angry huff.

"How kind of you to notice~" 'Yugi' chimed merrily, trailing behind you with an air of smugness surrounding him. You almost wanted to snap at him, but refrained yourself from doing so. Besides, you noted solemnly to yourself whilst slowing your once brisk pace to a mere crawl so that you were now walking side-by-side with 'Yugi. Although you hated to admit such a thing you couldn't help but feel safe in his presence. For now, you'd just make sure you wouldn't give away your obvious comfort from just being near him. The _last_ thing you needed from this dude was his knowledge of your source of solace.

Having been so wrapped up in your bustling thoughts, you failed to notice 'Yugi's' eyes losing their playful glimmer. Narrowing his crimson eyes, 'Yugi' cast a scathing glare over his shoulder towards the large mass of shadow that was slowly following you both from a distance. So far it showed no signs of a possible attack. However, there was no reason to feel at ease with such a menacing force trailing behind you two. Dragging his gaze back to the front, 'Yugi' checked to make sure you were right there by his side. Feeling a small smile creep onto his lips, 'Yugi' decided it was best not to inform you of the ominous figure. After all, 'Yugi' mused to himself, why worry you with trivial things?

The young man pretended not to notice when your hand timidly brushed against his, an obvious sign of nervousness. Despite his act of aloofness, 'Yugi' couldn't keep his smile from widening due to the small actions of uncertainty you resorted to in an effort to calm yourself down. Keeping his eyes locked in front of him, 'Yugi' gently brushed his hand against yours in a brief act of reassurance. His action, he noticed from a small sideways glance, had appeared to have calmed you. Chuckling fondly under his breath, 'Yugi' pressed forward with you right by his side.

Yup, there was _definitely_ no reason to worry you with trivial things.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it…that Yugi guy called me and said to come here…weird!" Ushio grumbled to himself, taking a stand in front of the school's entrance while his eyes scanned the area. "Well, I'm at the school at midnight…"<p>

"Ah," you noted quietly to yourself, eying the menacing bully from afar. 'Yugi' had explained to you that he wanted to play a little _game_ with the delinquent. You weren't quite sure what 'Yugi' possibly hoped to gain from this little encounter, but you couldn't help but feel this was a risky move on his part. When voicing your concerns on the matter, 'Yugi' had merely chuckled at your obvious anxiety and assured you that he knew exactly what it was he was doing. Now, standing by the determined male's side while the two of you were completely concealed in the shadows, you couldn't help but inch closer to 'Yugi'. Memories of today's earlier events still scarred you, and you most certainly were NOT ready to have a repeat of that rather gruesome beat down.

Crimson eyes observed your jittery behavior. Feeling a frown tug on his lips, 'Yugi' directed his gaze towards the bully located at the school's entrance. So, _this_ was the buffoon who actually thought he could get away with what he did to you earlier, eh? Tch, well obviously he didn't take in to account that you had friends who would seriously back you up should any harm ever befall you. Unable to remain hidden any longer due to the boiling rage in his lower abdomen, 'Yugi' scoffed loudly, easily gaining the attention of the burly Ushio.

"Good of you to come, Ushio-_san,_" 'Yugi' relayed in a sarcastic tone, his right hand lightly skimming over the sleek material of his Millennium Puzzle.

"I've got to hand it to ya! You decided to pay up…that lightens my mood!" Ushio mused, a smirk instantly forming on his lips at the thought. The malicious bully then shoved his outstretched hand towards 'Yugi', shaking it anxiously. "Cough it up already! The money! The money! 200,000 yen!"

Taking a small deep breath to calm his self down so that he wouldn't lose it here and now, 'Yugi' slowly reached his right hand into his pocket, pulling out a giant stack of money. "I have it here…" 'Yugi' began, waving the cash tauntingly, watching with disgust as Ushio gazed at the money with a love-struck expression. "However, I seem to have brought 400,000 by mistake…"

Ushio's expression turned into one of absolute greed. "400k!"

"But there's a catch…since just paying you would be boring…so…" 'Yugi' trailed off, a devious smirk forming on his lips knowing that he would get revenge for his dear, sweet friends. "We're going to play a game!"

"A game..!" Ushio didn't seem to have expected this.

"Yes…but it isn't just any game…it's a _**Shadow Game!**_" 'Yugi' informed the male, his smirk widening while his eyes sparkled mischievously. "How about it? If you win, you get more than 200,000 yen! Not bad, eh?"

Ushio's cocky smirk quickly returned. "Interesting…"

"To play the game, we need only one tool…" 'Yugi' continued, pointing at Ushio with his left hand. "The knife you're hiding, Ushio-_san!_"

_*He actually brought that horrid thing with him?*_ you thought frantically to yourself, watching with anxious eyes as Ushio reached into his jacket to pull out a fairly large knife littered with splotches of red – or to be more precise, _blood._ You couldn't help but wince, your heart beating wildly like a startled bird in a steel cage. Etching closer to 'Yugi', you maneuvered yourself so that you were now completely hidden from Ushio's view. The sight of the weapon that had been used to assault you early today only brought back painful memories that you honestly wished you could lock away forever.

When a sudden pressure was placed atop of your head, you nearly jumped right out of your skin in fright. Frantic honey orbs locked with calm crimson ones. 'Yugi' was currently staring at you with an expression you couldn't quite label. His eyes were flashing with rage, and yet, they were also reflecting his determination to put this bully in his place, easing your frazzled state to a mere simmer due to 'Yugi's' unwavering energy. The weight atop of your head came from the comforting source of 'Yugi's' hand. Said male shot you a brief grin, ruffling the large cap on your head and causing some strands of your red hair to fall slightly from its tucked position behind your ear.

Baffled by 'Yugi's' sudden change of emotion, you blinked owlishly at the puzzling male standing before you. Losing a bit of their hardness, 'Yugi's' eyes flashed with mirth, a fond chuckle leaving his lips at the sight of your rather quizzical look. Allowing his hand to slip off of your head, 'Yugi' shot you a playful look before catching you by surprise when his forefinger and middle finger lightly smacked your forehead.

"Don't worry," 'Yugi' reassured you in a calm tone, his eyes softening ever so slightly. "Ushio won't lay a hand on you – not when I'm around."

To say you were dumbfounded would be an understatement. You just couldn't form single word to express the relief you were suddenly feeling after 'Yugi' had made his vow. There was so much conviction behind his words… you knew there was no room left for an argument. 'Yugi' would definitely protect you. Not only did you have his word, but the tremendous aura radiating off of the young male in wild waves only led you to fully believe that 'Yugi' was fully capable of following through with his promise.

Your belief in his word apparently showed through your eyes, you noted to yourself in mild amusement, watching on in silent fascination when 'Yugi' noticed that peculiar glimmer reflecting deeply in your eyes. Allowing a smirk to grace his features, 'Yugi' held up his fist, gazing at you with that smug expression you've come to known. Giving a small, playful roll of your eyes, you clenched your own hand into a fist and raised it to lightly bop it against 'Yugi's'. A wordless bond was made between the two of you just then, causing brief grins to appear on both of your lips before the moment was ruined by Ushio's impatient sneer.

"Who's the brat, Yugi? You two planning on scheming against me? I don't take kindly to cheaters!" Ushio spat venomously, wielding his knife and aiming it dangerously at 'Yugi's' chest.

You couldn't help but silently thank 'Yugi' for persuading you to change your clothes before you left. Now, instead of adorning your typical girls' uniform, you had traded in that attire for one of boys' uniforms (one that 'Yugi' had oh-so happily lent to you). Your small frame was completely hidden from prying eyes due to the rather baggy fabric of the boy uniform, and the hat 'Yugi' had thrown onto your head at the last minute before you two had left easily concealed your vibrant (and recognizable) red locks. It came as to no surprise that Ushio was unable to recognize you. After all, he didn't really have the brain to decode your simple disguise.

"Kindly refrain yourself from insulting my friend, Ushio-_san,_" 'Yugi' retorted in a rather menacing tone. His right hand darted out and snatched a hold of the blade Ushio was wielding, yanking it out of the baffled male's hand and expertly tossing the weapon into the air to catch it by its rubber handle. 'Yugi' then slammed the money down onto a weight container that was located beside him before proceeding to jam Ushio's knife right beside the money. "Okay! The game is set!" 'Yugi' declared, glancing up from the materials to the monster in front of you two.

"These are the rules!" 'Yugi' grabbed the money and placed it atop of his left hand before grabbing the knife and posing it above his money covered hand. "The players take turns placing money on top of their hand, and then stabbing the money with the knife! All the money on the knife goes to the player, and then their opponent takes their turn with the remainder." 'Yugi' explained, glancing towards Ushio to see if he was following.

"The game ends when there are no more bills left. The one with the most money at the end is the winner! Also, if you stab your hand, you automatically lose the entire game, and give all your winnings your opponent!" 'Yugi' finished, his lips forming into a devious smirk. "Sounds fun, eh?"

"Heh…heh heh… Keh, you've got guts…" Ushio commented, chuckling to himself. _*Did…did I meet with the wrong Yugi…!*_

"One more thing…if you break a rule, you will be cursed with a 'Penalty Game'!" 'Yugi's' eyes flashed with anger and excitement. It didn't take a genius to know that a scumbag like Ushio would indeed cheat without a second thought if things didn't go his way. 'Yugi's' smirk widened at the thought that he would catch Ushio in the act, and when he did, that bastard have to pay the price.

"Heh…cool…" Ushio seemed rather startled by 'Yugi's' words and behavior, but tried to hide it with a smirk. "Come on, let's get started!"

'Yugi' moved to meet face-to-face with Ushio so that they could begin a game of 'rock-paper-scissors' to see who would go first, however, he was unable to take a step further when your hand suddenly shot out and grabbed a hold of his arm. Surprised crimson eyes glanced in your direction, signaling that you had his full attention. Furrowing your brows, you gently tightened your grip on 'Yugi's arm, "…It's not that I don't believe you can do this, but Ushio's well known for not playing by the rules. What if you get hurt?" you voiced your concerns, only to fall silent when 'Yugi' smiled fondly at you. How could he NOT be worried about this situation?

"I assure you, Kiyoko," 'Yugi' softly ushered your name, the sound mixing with the chilling breeze and concealing your identity from the jittery bully awaiting the start of the game. Leaning forward slightly, 'Yugi' breathed his answer, sending a bout of inward shivers coursing through your body due to his silky words. "I can handle myself. After all, I'm a _big boy._" Pulling away with a grin that could outmatch the Cheshire cat, 'Yugi' then promptly turned to face his opponent, leaving you absolutely speechless.

…What the HECK was that?

"First…who's up first…**JAN!**" you were snapped out of your dazed state the moment 'Yugi' declared the game of 'rock-paper-scissors' on. Turning your anxious gaze towards the confident boy, you felt relief flood your systems when you noticed that 'Yugi's' hand was flat, symbolizing paper, whereas Ushio's hand was clenched into a fist which resembled rock. Paper beats rock. You missed the arrogant smirk 'Yugi' threw Ushio's way when you couldn't help but release a puff of air. Honestly, you weren't even playing this dangerous game, and yet, your nerves were completely frazzled to the point of literally being burned out.

"All right, I'm first…" 'Yugi' taunted the steamed bully, his smirk widening in delight when the burly teen shot him a sneer. Placing the giant wad of cash over his left hand, 'Yugi' then picked up the knife with his right, poising it over his money clad hand as a look of sheer concentration replaced his once arrogant expression. You couldn't help but hold your breath, wringing your hands anxiously together while watching 'Yugi' slowly shoved the knife into the wad of bills. After a few tense moments of sheer anticipation, 'Yugi' pulled the knife away, never once losing his composure.

"Hmm…" 'Yugi' noted in an absentminded tone, glancing at the small amount of bills he had managed to snag. "Less than ten bills…" 'Yugi' observed in a nonchalant voice, plucking the money off of the knife, "I tried to use a lot of my strength, but not many stuck…" Holding the blade between his thumb and forefinger, 'Yugi' offered the weapon to his opponent, a sly smile appearing on his lips in the process. "Your turn~"

Ushio swiped the knife out of 'Yugi's' hold without so much as a word of gratitude. Slamming his left hand down onto the weights, Ushio then dropped the large wad of money atop of his hand and poised the knife above. The shaking of his body was apparent to both you and 'Yugi', causing the two of you to share knowing glances with one another before 'Yugi' slowly dragged his eyes back to the struggling bully who was apparently trying to control his greed.

"If you get too greedy, you'll use too much strength and stab all the way through…" 'Yugi' relayed with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "The point of this game is to control your greed!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Ushio snapped, jerking his eyes towards the arrogant male located in front of him. Beads of sweat began to drip down the bully's face (much like Niagara Falls). The hand holding the knife began to shake wildly, easily expressing Ushio's lack of control over his emotions. For a moment, you actually thought the dude was gonna back out due to his fear and overwhelming greed, however, Ushio proved you wrong by suddenly stabbing the knife viciously into the wad of money. A gasp left your lips at the sheer amount of force the moron had used. He'd be lucky he didn't pierce through his hand at this point!

Jerking the knife back, Ushio began to cackle at the sight of the large amount of bills stuck to the knife. You grit your teeth, wanting nothing more than to roll your eyes at this teen's sheer stupidity. It was obvious Ushio had completely disregarded the fact that he had nearly pierced his hand. Instead, he was too star-struck by greed. "Heh…heh heh… check it out! More than a hundred thousand! And not a scratch on my hand! Using more strength is fine!" Ushio babbled.

"Indeed," 'Yugi' mused, taking the knife from his opponent and resuming his turn. Not once did this young man waver. 'Yugi' kept a completely nonchalant expression etched on his face, never rising to Ushio's taunts and brags. A deep respect was slowly beginning to form for this unique individual, something you believed which would have not originally developed for quite some time. 'Yugi' began to carefully shove the knife once more into the wad of bills while finishing his earlier sentence. "But as the game progresses, it will become harder and harder to control your strength." Pulling the knife back, 'Yugi' chuckled at the rather generous amount of bills he had managed to snag, shooting Ushio a cocky smirk when the older male scoffed at your friend's luck. "There's less and less money here…the game will end soon!"

You remained stationed by 'Yugi's' side, watching the game continue and reveling in the fact that Ushio was losing his control. Each and every turn that passed, the bully was applying more and more strength, clearly allowing his greed to get the better of him and turning a blind eye to the fact that he nearly stabbed his hand each and every time he carelessly jammed the knife into the depleting stack of bills. In this game of wits, it was obvious that 'Yugi' was winning and Ushio was merely spiraling down the lost path. Now, it was only a matter of time before the deranged bully finally lost all control.

_*This game isn't so hard!*_ Ushio laughed manically. "All the money will be mine!" he declared, moving to stab the stack of cash. Too bad for him, his right hand didn't seem to be responding. "Ah…ah, that…" Ushio nervously glanced towards his shaking hand. _*What the…I'm using too much strength! W-why can't I relax my hand! I can't control my hand! I can't…! And if I can't control it, I'll stab too hard! I'll stab right through the money to my hand!*_

Awe swept through your body at the sight of Ushio having finally lost all of his senses to his greed.

_*A "shadow game" reveals a person's true character, and determines their fate!*_ A smirk formed on 'Yugi's' lips, amusement dancing in his crimson eyes at the sight of Ushio panicking when he realized that he had no control over the strength in his right hand. _*Listen carefully, Ushio! If you let your own greed control you, you won't be able to stop your hand!*_ 'Yugi's' smirk turned devious. _*Yes…quite a dilemma, eh? Will you sacrifice your hand for money…?*_

It didn't take a genius to answer that one.

Ushio began to chuckle darkly, his gaze suddenly tearing away from the money to focus on 'Yugi'. "Heh heh…the answer is simple!" Ushio shouted, causing you to arch a brow. 'Yugi's' look of annoyance soon turned to one of surprise when he noticed Ushio retracting his right arm. So, he's lost it already? That was quick. "This hand will stab with all my strength, no matter what I do! But there's a way to get all the money, and not injure my other hand!" Ushio continued his rant, his eyes taking on a feral look.

"I'm the one holding the knife…so I'll use it to defeat you!" Ushio then thrust his weapon towards 'Yugi', aiming right at your friend's chest. "DIEEEEEEE! YUUGIIIIII!"

Fear instantly grasped your heart, causing your stomach to drop at the horrible sight of Ushio launching an attack at 'Yugi'. Unable to stop yourself from crying out, your words spilled from your mouth before you even had a chance to try and collect your frantic thoughts. "YAMI, WATCH OUT!"

You completely missed the look of sheer surprise filtering across 'Yugi's' face when you called out to him. Sparing you a quick glance, 'Yugi' hastily reverted his attention back to the matter at hand. Allowing his reflexes to completely take over, 'Yugi's' body naturally went into 'flight' mode. Jumping back, 'Yugi' barely avoided the knife slamming down into the spot where he stood just moments ago. Landing gracefully on his feet a good distance away, 'Yugi' regained his composure and cackled with glee. "Just as I thought, you couldn't follow the rules!"

"Whoa~!" you breathed, your eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the eye of Horus appearing on 'Yugi's' forehead and flashing brightly with a mystical light.

_*W-what the…*_ Ushio stared dumbfounded, sweat sliding down the side of his face when he felt the sudden pressure of power beginning to emit from 'Yugi's' body. _*An eye…on his…forehead!*_

"This eye can see nothing but what is 'in your heart'!" 'Yugi' explained with a sadistic grin. "You're a greedy bully who hurt my friends and tried to steal from me!" Extending his left arm, 'Yugi' pointed towards Ushio, his eyes narrowing in the process. "Penalty Game! Illusion of Greed!"

You had to shield your eyes from the blinding light that suddenly covered the whole school grounds the moment 'Yugi' ushered his last sentence. Wind whipped wildly around you; causing the baggy male uniform you were wearing to flap in the brutal breeze. After a few tense moments of an indescribable event, you felt your tense posture beginning to relax ever so slightly when the wind slowly began to die down. Hesitantly lowering your right arm from its shielding position, you glanced cautiously at the sight in front of you.

Ushio was scrambling around, a crazed look flashing in his eyes while the delusional man ranted on and on about money falling from the sky. Watching the bully with a bewildered expression, you wondered what had just happened to have the once intimidating teen reduced to nothing but a blathering idiot swiping at leaves whilst completely convinced that the vegetation was paying material.

"Let me tell you something…if all you care about is money…" 'Yugi' narrowed his eyes, watching Ushio rave on and on. "The 'object of your greed' will be all that your eyes can see!" Without a second thought, 'Yugi' walked past Ushio, gingerly picking up the stack of bills and placing it in his coat pocket. The scumbag's insane babbles rang through the night air, but you and 'Yugi' could honestly care less. Brushing past the delinquent, 'Yugi joined you by your side and flashed you a devious smile.

…This can't be good.

"Kiyoko~" 'Yugi' chimed merrily, trailing after you the moment you decided to hightail it outta here in an effort to avoid whatever it was he was about to taunt you with. Your valiant efforts proved invalid. 'Yugi' caught up to you in a matter of seconds, gracefully twisting his body so that he was now standing in front of you and efficiently blocking off your path. You tried your best to ignore the smug expression appearing on the male's face, but that was proving to be rather difficult (especially when he insisted on invading your 'personal space'). "…'Yami', eh?" 'Yugi' mused, his crimson eyes sparkling with unbridled mirth as the young male referred to your earlier call of his new nickname.

Feeling your cheeks heat up with embarrassment, you clenched your hands tightly to restrain yourself from bopping this arrogant male upside the head. "For your _information…_" you stressed, narrowing your eyes at the sight of 'Yugi' widening his smirk, "I'm not going to refer to you as 'Yugi' when your obviously not him!" you retaliated in a huff.

"So now you're just gonna refer to me as 'darkness' or 'other self'?" 'Yugi' mused, his crimson eyes locked on your small form as you began to sidestep around him.

"I find it rather fitting," you responded with a small roll of your eyes, stuffing your hands into the pockets of your boy's uniform.

'Yami' chuckled softly, his crimson eyes glowing with mirth.


End file.
